D5m Basse Sub-Treasury Case Continues

The trial of the alleged D5m Basse Sub-Treasury scam involving one Sukuta Makalo continued yesterday before Justice Joseph Wowo of the Banjul High Court, with the testimony of the first prosecution witness.

Continuing his testimony, the state witness Karaba Touray told the court that, the Basse Sub-Treasury often receives revenue from various departments including Customs, Forestry and others.

According to him, when the revenue is received, the accused person used to prepare three receipts; the first copy would be given to the person who brought the revenue while the other copies would be left in the receipt book. He added that the revenue is recorded in the cash book.

Mr. Touray further adduced that the expenditure at the Basse Sub-Treasury is recorded, noting that it varies ranging from salaries, wages and other charges. He stated that all expenditures are represented by a payment voucher and at the end of the month, the first copy is sent to the Treasury Department while the second and the third copy remained with the accused, Sukuta Makalo.

Further briefing the court, the first prosecution witness stated that at the end of the year, the remaining money is brought back to Banjul and paid to the Central Bank Treasury Account and that it was the accused, Sukuta Makalo that used to bring the balance at the end of the year.

He adduced that when the accused deposits the money at the Central Bank; he goes with his pay slip to the Treasury Department  issued by the Central Bank. He said the Treasury would confirm the cash balance and issued the accused with a receipt.

According to him, during the investigation they had gone through the cash book of 2001 to 2005, adding that for every cash book, there is a deposit site where the money received are recorded.

"We compared the balance of the lodgment made to the Central Bank and the receipts issued to the accused by the Treasury and notice the differences of over D5m," he revealed.

He further revealed that they found other differences and noted it in the auditor report, stating that he was the one who compiled the audit report and signed it.

The cash book containing records from 2002 to 2003 and cash book containing the records from 2004 to 2005 were tendered in court as exhibits, respectively.

Hearing continues.