By: Fatou Krubally
In a startling admission before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) on Wednesday, a senior official of the Kuntaur Area Council confessed to accepting a bribe in exchange for awarding a contract. The revelation sheds light on a deep-rooted culture of corruption within local government operations.
Lamin Kujabi, the council’s Director of Planning and Development, testified that he received D50,000 from contractor Lamin Y.F.A. Mboge on the direct instruction of the council’s Chief Executive Officer, Momodou Sambou. He described the payment as part of a broader kickback arrangement involving top officials.
“I received the money and I took it to the CEO Sambou,” Kujabi told the Commission, adding that the funds were later split among key council members. According to him, D20,000 went to both himself and the Director of Finance, while the Procurement Officer received D10,000, with CEO Sambou pocketing D50,000.
Kujabi further disclosed that contractors were inflating project costs to cover bribes, a practice that directly contributed to financial mismanagement and inflated council expenditures. “This is how things have been done for a long time,” he admitted.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez pressed him on whether this was a standard practice within the council. Kujabi responded: “It was known at the top. If you didn’t play along, you would be sidelined.”
The Commission, which is investigating corruption and administrative misconduct in local councils from May 2018 to January 2023, has demanded further documentation on the contract and payment trail.
As the inquiry deepens, Kujabi’s confession could have far-reaching implications, potentially implicating more officials in what appears to be a systemic abuse of power. The Commission is expected to call more witnesses as it works to unravel the full extent of corruption within local government structures.