By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Establishment and Appointment Committee of the BrikamaArea Council (BAC) has cataloged a whole lot of reasons, it said, have justified its decision to part ways with its embattled CEO and finance director, respectively.
The committee said the besieged CEO Modou Jonga and finance director Alhagie Jeng should go home for a myriad of reasons, bordering on negligence, corruption, misconduct, and abuse of office.
The committee has insisted that it cannot work with both Jongaand Jeng in the interest of the people of the West Coast Region (WCR).
“Bearing in mind that we have taken an oath to execute our functions as Councilors without fear or favor, affection or ill-will, the Establishment & Appointment Committee is hereby cataloging a comprehensive justification for the removal of both Mr. Jonga and Mr. Jeng from BAC. After a holistic review of the circumstances surrounding both Mr. Jonga and Mr. Jeng amidst new revelations, the Establishment Committee has informed the General Council about these numerous elements of corruption and negligence of duty,” the committee said in a memo addressed to the permanent secretary at the ministry of regional governments, governor WCR, BAC chair, Messrs. Jonga, and Jeng as well as the media.
It said Jonga and Jeng should be charged with misconduct “for refusing” to provide the National Audit Office (NAO) with all the bank accounts of BAC for audit inspection in 2020/2021. It stated that the BAC was operating three accounts at Eco Bank but only one was submitted for audit inspection. The committee said details about BAC’s accounts with Supersonic Financial Services and Reliance Financial Service were not made available for audit inspection in 2020/2021.
“Concealing such a financial information or document is not only a misconduct but abuse of office,” the committee said.
The committee also accused Jonga and Jeng of causing BAC huge economic loss by failing to make available market tickets for four market days.
“In our opinion, this was a calculated and deliberate attempt to cripple our revenue generation. This is not only negligence of duty but blatant abuse of office or misconduct,” it said.
“Council could not pay allowances and services from the 19thOctober to 25th October as a result of a lack of checkbooks. Again, Jonga and Jeng are responsible for ensuring that Council does not run out of checkbooks,” it added.
The committee further alleged that Mr. Jonga deliberately misinformed the council about the Gealogy Funds from the Ministry of Finance.
It said: “The council was informed about only two disbursements from the Ministry of Finance which are D7 million & and D9.2 million. In the first place, this D7 million that was put to our notice at the general council meeting was supposed to be over D7.8 million but we were told it was only D7 million. Where is the D888, 000?”
The committee also accused Jonga of fraudulently obtaining D2.5 million from Jah Oil.
It also alleged that over D50 million was debited from BAC’s various accounts from January to June 2023 without sufficient vouchers, adding the CEO refused to provide the principal internal auditors the council resolution and ministerial approval used to obtain the loan, and information, regarding the whereabouts of D2.5 million credited. The committee also held that Jonga and Jeng should be held responsible for ghost names found on BAC’s payroll.
Jonga and Jeng have also been suspected of credit union and one-by-six fraud.
The committee said Jonga has failed to fulfill the council’s obligation to SSHFC thereby causing the council to pay a penalty of about D23, 000,000.
When contacted by this medium, embattled CEO Jonga said he could not comment on the issues raised by the committee, saying he was yet to be indicted of any of the allegations