By: Fatou krubally
Khalifa Faal, founder of KMF Technologies, told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that there was no formal tender opening in relation to a 2020 contract awarded to his company under the BCC Ostend project.
Testifying before the Commission, Faal explained that KMF Technologies was contacted directly by Banjul City Council (BCC) regarding the supply of equipment for the EU-funded Ostend project. He recalled receiving a list of required items via email and subsequently submitted a technical offer. The contract was awarded through what he described as a restricted or direct tender process.
Faal presented the Commission with the award letter dated 15th May 2020, signed by project coordinator Mam Jassey, as well as a financial identification form and technical specifications related to the project. He said the total contract value was D592,800 and confirmed that all items including multifunction printers, cameras, computers, storage devices, and audio-visual equipment were delivered as specified.
However, when pressed on whether there was a formal tender opening, Faal stated, “This was different.” He clarified that while references to a tender process existed in the documentation, there was no formal session where submitted bids were publicly opened and reviewed. He admitted that KMF Technologies had never worked with BCC prior to this project and had no knowledge of how the company was initially selected for the contract.
Faal said the payment was made by cheque into KMF Technologies’ Basic Bank account, and a 10% withholding tax was deducted. While he could not produce a copy of the signed contract, he said he believed a contract existed but could not locate it due to limited staffing during the COVID-19 period.
The Commission requested Mr. Faal to submit the missing contract, as well as his company’s GPPA registration certificate and bank statements related to the payment, by Thursday. The inquiry continues to probe procurement practices and accountability in local government institutions.
