By Makutu Manneh
An ornithologist who oversaw environmental restoration work in Banjul under a European Union-funded partnership with the Banjul City Council (BCC) defended his handling of project funds before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday, amid questions over the exact amounts disbursed and the lack of a formal contract.
Lamin Jobaata, Executive Director of the West Africa Bird Study Association (WABSA), told the commission that he received D2.1 million from BCC for his role in the CityLink Ostend-Banjul Partnership Project. That amount, he said, was paid in three tranches between 2020 and 2022. Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez, however, presented financial records indicating payments totaling D3.1 million.
The discrepancy drew scrutiny from the commission, particularly after Jobaata admitted he had never signed a contract or memorandum of understanding with BCC, despite overseeing critical components of the project, such as mangrove restoration in the Tanbi Wetlands and school-based nursery initiatives.
“The project started in 2020, but all activities that year were implemented on a per-activity basis,” Jobaata testified. “We only began receiving fixed disbursements in 2021.”
He outlined three specific payments—D670,000, D449,000, and D895,000—but acknowledged no formal agreement existed to outline the terms of the collaboration.
Although he said his 12-member team received monthly salaries from 2020 to 2022 from the EU Project, he could not recall receiving an appointment letter himself. He submitted photocopies of relevant documents to the commission and was instructed to return with original versions.
The inquiry into BCC’s financial management under the EU project also heard testimony from Baboucarr Ceesay, former Head of Human Resources and Administration for Reliance Financial Services. Ceesay said he was contracted to draft a human resources and training policy under the same project’s good governance component.
Ceesay presented an unsigned copy of his consultancy agreement, saying he could not locate the signed original. He testified that he learned about the opportunity through a referral and was subsequently invited via email by Alfusainey Gano, the EU project coordinator, to submit a proposal. That email correspondence and his technical and financial submissions were admitted into evidence.
Regarding payments, Ceesay said he received 50 percent of his consultancy fee up front, followed by 40 percent via cheque, with the remaining 10 percent withheld as tax. He submitted his bank transaction records to the commission, which were also admitted as exhibits.
The testimonies came as part of an ongoing investigation into procurement and financial practices under BCC’s EU-funded programs. The commission has been probing lapses in documentation, contract oversight, and accountability in the project implementation.
