Africa-Press – Gambia. Landing B. Sanneh, Chairman of Mansakonko Area Council, testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he was unaware of former finance director Bai Gibbi Sallah’s purchase and use of private receipt books for revenue collection at the council’s conference center.
During his testimony in January 2024, Mr. Sallah admitted to using privately procured receipt books to collect fees for the conference center and disclosed that a separate bank account had been opened for these transactions at Supersonic Bank.
Chairman Sanneh stated, “I have no knowledge about that. The center has a manager and a revenue collector attached to the manager. The collector collects the revenue generated from the center and deposits it into the account. The finance department, of course, and the finance director monitor all the revenue collectors.”
Counsel Gomez informed Chairman Sanneh that Mr. Sallah had acquired receipt books from a businessman in Brusubi, one of which accounted for 1.8 million Dalasi in revenue. Additionally, 13 other receipt books remain unaccounted for.
When questioned about his role in verifying receipts issued by the conference center, Chairman Sanneh admitted that he did not conduct such verifications.
Regarding the failure to consult the council’s internal audit department for prepayment authorizations between 2018 and 2023, Chairman Sanneh acknowledged that the internal audit function had not been effectively utilized, attributing this in part to the prevailing work culture within the council.
However, he assured the commission that efforts are underway to rectify this issue: “This is something we are actively working to address.”
He further noted that the council has since established an audit committee tasked with ensuring that internal audit processes are properly consulted and integrated into council operations moving forward.
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