By: Fatou Krubally
During her testimony at the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) on Tuesday, Oumie Jagne, a receiving cashier at the Banjul City Council (BCC) market, admitted under questioning that she had kept over D200,000 in collected revenue for nearly two weeks without depositing it in the bank.
Ma’am Jagne, who was questioned by Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez, explained that she received the money from the market master but did not count it immediately. When asked why she failed to verify the amount upon receipt, she stated, “Market money is plenty. There are different types of denominations, including coins, so I could not count it in one day.”
Counsel Gomez challenged her explanation, questioning why she did not count the money with the market master, as standard procedure dictates. “You receive more than D200,000 from him and did not count it with him?” Gomez asked.
She admitted that she did not count it, explaining that she was unwell at the time and had recently returned from the hospital.
However, when further questioned about the delay in depositing the funds, she could not provide a clear answer, repeatedly stating that market revenue is difficult to count.
Lead Counsel Gomez responded, “That doesn’t make sense. Nobody does that. You were negligent.” He emphasized that holding such a large sum for so long raised serious concerns.
At one point, Jagne claimed she was unsure of the exact amount she received, as the market master had not informed her of the total. This raised further doubts about her handling of council funds, according to Gomez.
Her testimony has added to the growing concerns of financial mismanagement at the BCC, as the commission continues to investigate revenue collection and accountability within the council. Jagne is scheduled to continue her testimony on Wednesday, March 19.
