By: Fatou Krubally
A heated session unfolded at the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) on Tuesday as former and current officials were questioned over an alleged fraudulent payment of D510,000 in April 2019.
Testimonies revealed conflicting accounts about who authorized and received the money, raising serious concerns about financial mismanagement at the Kerewan Area Council.
During the proceedings, Seedy Touray, former CEO of Kerewan Area Council, was pressed on the payment voucher for D510,000, which stated that the money was paid to Lamin A.S. Marena. However, Marena himself denied receiving the funds.
Mr Marena, who was the former director of finance, had testified earlier that he never signed the document.
Nyakassi Cassama, a civil servant, who was present at the hearing, was asked directly whether he had signed the voucher. He flatly denied it, saying the signature attributed to him was forged. Despite this, Touray insisted that Nyakassi had signed the document.
Former finance director Alasana Keita backed Touray’s claim, stating that Nyakassi had signed on behalf of Sanneh and Sons, the company listed on the contract. However, lead counsel Patrick Gomez quickly challenged this, questioning why a civil servant would be signing on behalf of a private contractor. When asked whether Nyakassi had provided a power of attorney to represent Sanneh and Sons, Keita admitted that no such document existed.
Counsel Gomez did not hold back, accusing the officials of attempting to cover up financial fraud. He pointed out that if Nyakassi did not work for Sanneh and Sons, he had no legal authority to sign on their behalf.
When confronted with additional documents, Touray struggled to explain the discrepancies. He admitted that the contract had been single-sourced to Nyakassi on instructions from CEO Touray.
At one point, Gomez questioned Touray’s competence as a former CEO, asking if he genuinely believed he was qualified for the position. Touray responded in the affirmative.
As the inquiry continued, it was revealed that Nyakassi had represented three different companies in previous contracts, raising further suspicions of corruption. Even Keita, after persistent questioning, admitted that the process “was not normal.”
The commission has ordered Seedy Touray to provide copies of all relevant documents, including the cheque used for the D510,000 payment. The inquiry also raised concerns about forged signatures, lack of due process, and potential kickbacks involving senior council officials.
With mounting evidence of irregularities, the Local Government Commission is set to continue its investigation, with more witnesses expected to testify in the coming days.
