By Mama A. Touray
Managing Director Modou Jaiteh and the Director of Finance, Bunja Janneh of Green Vision International Limited on Monday appeared before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) at Djembe Hotel in Senegambia.
After swearing the oath individually, the witness statements were shown to them and they confirmed it, while the Lead Counsel Yakarr Cox tendered the statement to the Commission and the Chairperson admitted them into evidence.
Another document tendered by Lead Counsel Cox and admitted into evidence by Chairperson Jainaba Bah was the contract document between Basse Area Council and Green Vision Dated June 2021 for the construction of Baja Kunda Bridge.
Other documents tendered in a bundle by Lead Counsel YakarrCox and admitted into evidence by Chairperson Jainaba Bah were Trust Bank Limited’s receipt of Green Vision Baja KundaBridge works payment, Green Vision letter requesting second payment of the construction of Baja Kunda Bridge lot1 dated 13 August 2021, Supersonic Microfinance statement for Green Vision International, and Vista Bank statement for Green Vision.
Modou Jaiteh, Managing Director of Green Vision International Ltd told the commission that Green Vision International Ltd was established in January 2012 as a construction company.
He added that they do construction for both public and private companies and they constructed the Farato Jambur Road, Sankung Sillah Roads to the hospital amongst other road projects.
On the Baja Kunda Bridge project, the Finance Director, BunjaJanneh said they saw an advertisement in a newspaper and they bought the bid documents.
He said when they called Basse Area Council regarding the bidding, they were asked to buy the document at the bank, and they bought five lots and each was D5000 through Vista Bank then FIB.
Mr. Janneh further testified that when they bought the bid document, the area council took them on a site visit to the places they wanted to construct, and they were told that they had two weeks to prepare their bidding documents.
He said when they went to Basse to tender their documents; the area council rescheduled the day and told them to leave their documents with the technical Director. He said the rescheduling took a week or two.
He went on that after opening their documents, the area council went through the bid amount and told them that they would communicate with the successful bidder.
He told the Commission that the opening of the bidding process was in May and the area council responded in June, that they (Green Vision) had been successfully awarded Lot 1.
Director Janneh informed the Commission that at the time of the bidding, they were already registered with GPPA and the 2021 registration was also renewed, and that there was no specific percentage for the bid security.
“When we were notified that we were awarded we went and signed the documents with the Technical Director. We did the signing of the contract at the area council office, I, MD Jaiteh, two other employees of our institution were there, the CEO of the council, and other members,” he named those present when signing the contract award documents.
He said at the signing of the contract in July 2021, they were told that advance payment would be done in nothing less than fourteen days.
Adding that, when Basse Area Council posted the funds, they told them (Green Vision) that the funds were posted to the account.
Counsel noted from the documents that the funds were paid late, Director Janneh, in his reaction to that said “I do not know the reason for the delay and I noticed that the fund has not been paid, I informed the council that we did not receive the funds yet”.
Janneh also informed the commission that Baldeh Construction firm was the consultant appointed and that he was introduced to them by the council.
When asked about the appointment of the consultant he said they have not seen any agreement between him (Consultant) and the council but the council introduced him to them as the consultant.
Meanwhile, he said they were not giving the draft of the contract before the day of the signing.
