Financial scam threatens Basse Area Council as 3 revenue collectors sent packing

The future of three revenue collectors at the Basse Area Council (BAC) namely, Mrs Soma Jallow, Ba Omar and Lamin Conteh, is hanging in the balance after councillors of the said council unanimously passed a resolution that forced the trio to take their leave.

This decision by the councillors of the Basse Area Council comes on the heels of a series of financial scams, which were discovered at the council recently.

The resolution was passed, following years of what many described as gross mismanagement and misuse of taxpayers' money at the BAC, resulting in low revenue collection by the council in recent years.

The full scale of the scandal emerged following the trio's failure to adhere to an earlier principle, laid down by the council, for the revenue collected to be deposited into a particular bank account, as stipulated by the BAC councillors.

Confirming the story, the Chairman of Basse Area Council, Mr Omar Sampo Ceesay said the decision was taken by the entire council to send the said revenue collectors on leave for failing to abide with regulations as laid down by the council.

He went on to say that the measure was also in line with the council's sense of responsibility and commitment to utilise the revenue gained from taxpayers in their best interest.

He added that the amount of revenue collected by the trio did not satisfy the Basse Area Council and, as a result, a new tax collection team has been set up, headed by the Chairman of the finance sub-committee, Amadou Manneh, and includes Soury Sillah, Ba Sanna Jawneh and Mandou Manneh to take full responsibility for revenue collection by the council.

According to him, following this new arrangement, this is a big improvement in revenue collection by the council.

He urged the new team to work hard so as to achieve the desired objectives.

Mr. Ceesay also asked councillors to always work hand-in-glove with the new team of collectors in order to ensure that the revenue received from the taxpayers is used in their best interest, so as to build more confidence in the people who elected them into office.