By Mama A. Touray
Internal Auditor at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Cherno Amadou Sowe has disclosed that Basse Area Council accepted overpaying Green Vision with D2,064,000.00.
This was a contract the Basse Area Council entered with Green Vision for the construction of the Baja Kunda Road for D3,928,405.
Mr Sowe in his testimony told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that the audit team discovered that Base Area Council paid more than the contractual agreement and that they accepted overpaying Green Vision D2,064,000.
He continued that Basse Area Council paid green vision an amount of D5,992,702 instead of the agreed D3,928,405.
He said that Green Vision, despite being overpaid, was still claiming D395,000 arrears, while adding that if the whole money was paid, it would not be logical for Green Vision to claim arrears.
“Cheques were issued in Green Vision’s name totaling D5,922,700.20, which indicated that there was an overpayment made to them. The management responded to the auditors stating that reconciliation was done with Green Vision. The auditors said no evidence was provided to show that there was reconciliation,” he told the Commission.
Sowe however, testified that the Council has not been cutting the withholding tax from contracts they give out and that the law requires them to deduct 10% from payments they make.
The witness said the revenue collectors of the council used to pay monies directly to the Finance Director and described that as not a good practice as all collected funds should be paid to the banks.
He said the management response to the council indicated that all the collectors confirmed making payment to the Finance Director and he was asked to pay back the D118,000 he received from the collectors.
Meanwhile, Cherno Amadou Sowe said there was an overpayment of D100,000 to one Yerro Krubally for a Toyota Truck. He said the council entered a payment agreement with Krubally for it to be done based on installment. He added that the payment was D950,000 which was way over D850,000.00.
“It is a second-hand pickup. I don’t think they went through the procurement regulations as prescribed by GPPA,” Sowe declared.
He said the audit teams discovered that D300,000 of council funds was transferred to personal accounts. And that the audit team discovered evidence that the Director of Finance transferred D300,000 to the cashier to give staff a 1 by 6 loan.
“However, during the audit, there were different versions of narration. The Cashier said it was for 1 by 6 but the Finance Director said it was for the council’s activities. There was no evidence for both narrations” he said.