{"id":85410,"date":"2025-09-04T17:37:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals"},"modified":"2025-09-04T18:16:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T18:16:34","slug":"commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals","title":{"rendered":"Commission Probes Mayor Bensouda\u2019S Role in Payment Approvals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday continued its examination of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda\u2019s involvement in approving financial transactions at the council.<\/b><\/p>\n

During the session, several payment vouchers and memos were presented to the mayor, with particular focus on his handwritten minutes directing the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Deputy CEO (DCEO) on funding requests.<\/p>\n

Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez suggested this amounted to an instruction. Mayor Bensouda, however, maintained that it was merely a recommendation. He explained that the school board reports directly to him, and when funds budgeted for the school are delayed, the administration typically alerts his office. \u201cSo on the mayor\u2019s copy, I am suggesting to the DCEO to pay on a monthly basis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Counsel Gomez pressed him on whether the word \u201csuggestion\u201d appeared on the voucher. The mayor replied that his intent was to prevent the school from facing financial strain due to accumulated payments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have said this over and over, and no matter how many vouchers come, this is the fact. The fact is, the CEO is the authorizing officer; I cannot direct the CEO to make any payment. If a CEO knows their job, their terms of reference, and understands how council works, if they don\u2019t want to make the payment, they say, Mayor, I am not going to make this payment,\u201d Bensouda argued.<\/p>\n

He stressed that while requests are copied to his office to keep him informed, he lacks the authority to compel the CEO to approve disbursements.<\/p>\n

Counsel Gomez asked, \u201cDid you write that the DCEO should pay?\u201d The mayor replied in the affirmative.<\/p>\n

Another voucher presented involved a request from musician Jalimadi for sponsorship, in which Bensouda had noted, \u201cCEO processed 300 tickets from the culture budget for members of our committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

The counsel asked if this would cost money. Mayor Bensouda acknowledged that the request carried financial implications.<\/p>\n

The inquiry also examined a memo from the Bakoteh Ward Development Committee seeking funding for a community lighting project. On that document, Bensouda wrote, \u201cCEO, support the community with margin funding of the same amount of seventy-five thousand Dalasi for this community project.\u201d Asked whether this amount was paid, Bensouda said the voucher suggested so, prompting Counsel Gomez to challenge his answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I am asking you a question, and you will answer the question, my friend,\u201d Counsel Gomez stated.<\/p>\n

The mayor replied that he had answered the question.<\/p>\n

The commission further reviewed a request from the Ebo Town\/New Jeshwang Ward Development Committee for D28,000 in support of capacity-building activities. Bensouda had minuted: \u201cCEO give them D15,000; the WDC will contribute the rest.\u201d He confirmed the payment was eventually made.<\/p>\n

Another case involved a D10,000 request from the Abuko Councillor to support local football teams. The mayor\u2019s note read: \u201cCEO pay the director of service D10,000; he should go to Abuko, identify the teams, and disburse with advice from the councillor.\u201d Bensouda acknowledged that, based on the voucher, the funds appeared to have been disbursed. \u201cFrom the voucher, it seems so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Counsel Gomez argued that such patterns reinforced testimony from former CEOs who claimed that payments\u2014particularly those exceeding D100,000\u2014were only processed after clearance from the mayor.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the Lord Mayor wants to deny that, but the evidence is clear; it speaks for itself,\u201d Counsel Gomez stated, adding that further council resolutions would be presented to the mayor to eliminate any room for denial. \u201cso there will not be any room for denial because the documents will speak for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The commission also examined a memo from the chairman of the Establishment and Appointment Committee recommending a D150,000 honorarium for HR expert Modou Gaye. On the document, Bensouda had written: \u201cCEO 100 approved for Mr. Modou Gaye.\u201d While the mayor insisted he had not approved the amount, Counsel Gomez maintained that his words amounted to an approval.<\/p>\n

In another instance, the Gambia National Youth Council requested D100,000 to sponsor a show by entertainer Nyangcho. Bensouda\u2019s note read: \u201cDCEO approved, and to the director of finance, please pay,\u201d asked by the commission, the mayor explained that he approved the activity, not the amount. \u201cI never approve amounts; I approve activities. If the amount requires my input, I will say reduce,\u201d he clarified.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. The Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday continued its examination of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda\u2019s involvement in approving financial transactions at the council. During the session, several payment vouchers and memos were presented to the mayor, with particular focus on his handwritten minutes directing the Chief Executive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":85409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-85410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nCommission Probes Mayor Bensouda\u2019S Role in Payment Approvals - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday continued its examination of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Ma ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Commission Probes Mayor Bensouda\u2019S Role in Payment Approvals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday continued its examination of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Ma ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T17:37:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T18:16:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/09\/sm_1756997155.111987.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Commission Probes Mayor Bensouda\u2019S Role in Payment Approvals\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-04T17:37:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-04T18:16:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\"},\"wordCount\":736,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/09\/sm_1756997155.111987.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/commission-probes-mayor-bensoudas-role-in-payment-approvals\",\"name\":\"Commission Probes Mayor Bensouda\u2019S Role in Payment Approvals - 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