By Fatou Krubally
Former CEO of the Kerewan Area Council (KAC), Samba M.K Leigh, has admitted to okaying payments without proper documentation.
During the hearings from March 4th to 6th, the commission questioned Leigh, regarding financial irregularities, unauthorized payments, and improper documentation of transactions. He was asked to explain how he approved payments without proper documentation. When confronted with a requisition allegedly from the chairman’s office, he admitted that the document lacked a name and signature, stating that he had forgotten to verify the requisition before authorizing payments.
The commission pressed him on who raised the requisition, to which he admitted he did not know. Despite this, he authorized the withdrawal of 210,000, among other payments. He conceded that the payment vouchers were not properly prepared, making them invalid.
Further questioning revealed that Mr. Leigh had signed cheques without properly signed vouchers. He admitted that while he did sign the checks, he had not signed the payment vouchers. The commission pointed out that a properly raised voucher requires authorization, which was missing in several instances.
A particularly significant issue was the payment of D500,000 to Halabal Trading, which was also not properly documented.
However, Mr. Leigh defended this transaction by stating that it was conducted openly, with the participation of regional authorities and stakeholders. He admitted that the paper records were not in order, calling it an oversight on his part.
The commission scrutinized multiple payments made under Mr. Leigh’s tenure, including:150,000 (Business Farm – paid to Babu) and other payments: 170,000, 50,000, 55,000, 65,000, 100,000, 210,000. All these payments were made without proper requisitions, and in some cases, the payment vouchers were either unsigned or not raised correctly.
When confronted, Mr. Leigh admitted that these transactions were errors and that he failed to ensure the correct procedures were followed. He acknowledged his mistakes but insisted that some payments were for legitimate purposes, despite the lack of proper documentation.
Throughout his testimony, Mr. Leigh repeatedly stated that financial irregularities “escaped his mind.” He admitted that failing to review the documents properly before authorizing payments was a mistake. He also acknowledged that financial procedures were not adhered to, but he insisted that there was no ill intent.
The commission formally admitted the questionable payment vouchers as evidence, marking them accordingly.
The testimony from March 4th to 6th revealed significant financial mismanagement within the Kerewan Area Council under Mr. Leigh’s leadership. His admissions of negligence and oversight in approving payments without proper requisitions raised concerns about accountability and governance.
The commission is expected to further scrutinize these financial irregularities and determine the necessary actions, moving forward.
