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BCC at Industrial Tribunal for ‘Wrongful Dismissal’

Nov 19, 2012, 9:39 AM | Article By: Dawda Faye

Lamin Sanyang, former revenue collector at the Banjul City Council (BCC), has sued BCC at the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal claiming “wrongful dismissal”.

He claimed payment of financial entitlements up to retirement age of 60 years. He also claimed for damages of breach of contract and 25 percent interest, and costs.

Sanyang appeared before the tribunal on 13 November 2012, and told the tribunal, chaired by Magistrate Dawda Jallow, that he discovered some financial malpractices at the BCC.

Lamin Sanyang testified that he was promoted to revenue collector and was posted at the Albert Market in Banjul, where he was in charge of inspecting daily and monthly collection, up to 2011.

He told the tribunal that on 29 June 2010, he discovered that records on original and duplicate copies of receipts were different.

He cited an example where D5,500 was written on the original copy of the receipt, while D3,600 was written on the duplicate copy.

He added that he reported the financial malpractices to the Albert Market accountant.

Mr Sanyang further narrated that he reported his findings, and this caused problems between him and the administration at BCC, up to 12 August 2011.

Lamin Sanyang added that the administrator at the council and the financial director were not happy with him, and that they decided to sideline him.

“Because of the discovery of the financial malpractices I made, they were not happy with me,” Mr Sanyang told the tribunal.

He said he was suspended for two weeks without pay, adding that he is married with two wives and has two children.

The suspension letter was shown to him by his counsel, Sidney Riley, which he identified.

Mr Riley applied to tender the letter as an exhibit, and it was admitted by the tribunal.

Earlier, Mr. Sanyang told the tribunal that he was employed by BCC on 10 June 2002, and that his employment was terminated in April 2012.

The case was adjourned to 3 December 2012, for continuation.

BCC was not represented at the tribunal.