By: Nicholas Bass & Binta Jaiteh
Following grave allegations of misappropriating public funds to the tune of Three Hundred Thousand (300,000) Gambia domestic currency from the Village Treasury by Chairman Cherno Njie and his subsequent sacking from the Village Development (VDC), Tujereng VDC has robustly embarked on a rescue mission in favor of Chairman Njieagainst the said allegations and dismissal describing it as false and baseless.
Engaging journalists in a press briefing in the Community Youth Centre in the area, VDC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lamin Bojang, vehemently denied the allegations of public funds misappropriation by Chairman Njie from the VDC, saying it is untrue and unfounded.
PRO Bojang further revealed that VDC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GACH Mining Company to mind the black sand along the village coastal area. And as part of the MOU, GACH CEO made direct payment of Three Hundred Thousand (300,000) Gambia Dalasis into the village account.
According to the VDC Spokesman, the Committee received One Million and Fifty Thousand (1050, 000) Dalasis as Royalties from GACH Mining Company and those funds were remitted into the VDC account.
‘We do not receive physical cash from GACH Mining Company,’’ PRO claimed.
He added that the VDC also engaged GACH CEO to pre- finance the village projects and that amount were later deducted from the village royalty fund.
Also claiming that Tujereng VDC has utilized over Two Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand (235,000) Dalasis on education and Six Hundred and Forty Three Thousand (643,000) Dalasis on health, and Five Hundred and Twenty Eight Thousand (528,000) Dalasis spent on village market development.
While One Hundred Thirty Eight Thousand (138,000) was spent on disaster recovery programmes such as supporting flood victims among other things including community development projects.
