By Makutu Manneh
Babucarr Manneh, the former Finance Director of Janjanbureh Area Council, said the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Samba Leigh of the Council appointed two of his sons as revenue collectors, without following due process.
Mr Manneh made this disclosure as a witness while giving his testimony before Commissioners of the Local Government Commission of Enquiry (LGCI), yesterday (Monday), March 4, 2024.
According to the witness, former CEO Leigh just came along with his two sons and posted them in the field only to prepare their letter of appointment at a later date. He named the former CEO two sons, Amadou and Mamadou Leigh, and proceeded to inform Commissioners that Amadou Leigh never adhered to the rules of revenue collection and makes payments of the revenues he collected without banking the monies in their proper accounts, based on his father’s authorization. He described Amadou’s act as running his father’s personal works because this was done without the knowledge of the Finance Director and Procurement Officer.
Manneh however admitted before the Local Government Commission that during his time as Finance Director, he did not prepare bank reconciliation for the year 2018, adding that he has acquired the statements from the bank and reconciled with his book.
“In 2018, I have no excuse or reason why I did not do the reconciliation,” he said.
Deputy Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez told him that since he did not prepare the bank statement, how will someone know the monthly transaction of the Council.
“During the time you are the finance director, you cannot account for the revenue and income of the Council,” counsel Gomez told the witness who replied in the positive.
Counsel Gomez further informed the witness that there were incomplete payrolls at Janjanbureh Area Council, and he further told him that the Council does not have a comprehensive list of staff, and that collectors also pay themselves from their own collection.
Before going further, Counsel Gomez asked if he has a copy of the establishment’s registration, but the witness said he never had a copy. Counsel Gomez then asked him how will he know that their payroll is accurate when payments were made at the council but could not be traced because he was paying staff who were not in the master payroll.
The witness replied that the CEO temporarily employed some collectors who were paid directly from the cash they collect.
“Like the collectors in Bansang, we asked the sub-treasury to pay them,” he said.
Manneh said he cannot remember the figure they were paid because they were not incorporated in the payroll.
“If you pay these people, you are paying non-staff members of the Council with the revenue collected,” Counsel Gomez told the witness. The witness concurred and said this was done by the “big man.”
“You guys referring to the CEO as the ‘big man’ is the reason why he has been doing whatever he wants because you see him as the alpha and omega,” Counsel Gomez told the witness.
Witness Manneh replied: “That is the reality at the Council.”
When asked how long they have been paying the non-staff of the Council who were appointed by the CEO, the witness said they were all incorporated in the payroll during the year 2019.
