By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) on Thursday referred the ex-finance director of Mansakonko Area Council to the auditors’ finding that D1.2M was not paid by the receiving cashier of the council in 2021 and that there was no evidence to show that the money was paid into the council’s bank accounts.
However, ex-finance director Bai Gibbi Sallah maintained that the money was deposited into the council’s accounts.
When given bank statements to peruse at his own pace, Sallahadmitted that the transaction was not captured in the statements.
The witness wanted to reference two bank deposits in 2021 but when told that the audit finding was for 2021, he took a long pause and fell silent. He was then given more time to look into the council’s account but after a while, he told the commission that he could not find it.
Sallah explained to the commission that only one transaction of D40,000 was done but was quickly told by the commission that the transaction the auditors referred to involved D40,100.
“So, this is not the correct reference,” counsel Gomez quizzed Sallah.
“Yes,” he concurred.
“You cannot show us any of those transactions in the accounts,” counsel Gomez further quizzed.
“Yes,” Sallah replied.
“Why will you not deposit these funds?” queried counselGomez.
The witness was silent for a while only to say later that all the cheques he received were deposited into the council’s accounts.
At one point, Commissioner Oremie E. Joiner told Sallah that the auditors said he issued over 50 receipts for different transactions, which amounted to over D1.2M yet the funds were not deposited into the council’s bank accounts.
“It is simple. They[auditors] are saying you issued receipts, which you confirmed but they cannot trace the money in the account and you have also confirmed that the money is not in the account,” Commissioner Joiner told Sallah but he [Sallah] did not reply.
Meanwhile, Deputy Lead Counsel Gomez at this moment changed gears to the D1.5M revenue that the auditors said was unaccounted for but the witness requested the commission to give him a chance to consult the GTR books before he could respond to the counsel’s query and this was granted.