The 5C ENERGY is a technology company that provides digital services to public and private organizations. It has been mentioned by various employees of the Basse Area Council who appeared as witnesses before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry the Commission.
The hearing of Mr Basina’s testimony yesterday was preceded by the admission of his written statement as evidence.
Mr Basina, beginning his testimony, said the company was registered in The Gambia in 2018 and they had a contract to manage tax collection for the Basse Area Council.
“We have the company established in Dubai. That’s the mother company basically, and we have many businesses around the world. We are managing many countries in terms of tax collection. So we have the expertise,” he said.
He further explained that they operate in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan. In Africa, he said they are in Senegal as well. Mr Basina claimed before commissioners that it was Gambians who went to Dubai and saw what 5C Energy was doing that invited them to come into the country.
He testified that this triggered their coming, and they established their company in 2018 and approached the councils, such as the Basse Area Council and the Brikama Area Council.
Lead Counsel Yakarr Cox handled the witness as he testified. She asked the witness to explain how they got into contact with Basse Area Council, saying: “So you approached Basse Area Council to offer these services. So, how was that done? Was there a meeting? Did somebody introduce you to the council?”
“Yes, I was not there but we had a former managing director. He was a Gambian guy. His name was Mr Bakutubo Sillah. He was managing The Gambia because I was managing Senegal until 2022. When I came, when we changed managing director.
Witness Basina said their modus is that they go and do their presentation and submit their technical proposal. “If they like, they could call us back to see our financial proposal. Then it goes to the council sitting, then it goes to the ministry of finance, then ministry of local government, [and] then we sign the contract,” he testified.
“So the contract that you signed with Basse Area Council went through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Government?” the lead counsel asked.
The witness maintained that it was what happened, telling the counsel that the meetings [records] are there and the Commission could check (consult) with the council to get the meetings. He said the contract was drafted by their lawyers
“Now, can you tell us about the contract? What was the agreement between 5C Energy and Basse Area Council?” the deputy lead counsel again asked.
“Okay, the agreement has parts, like we are providing the services (managing the tax collection), where our parts would be increasing the revenue of the area council, and after that, we are getting our share in part when it [revenue] exceeds the amount on the contract.
Questioned whether he knew the sharing components for each party, he said it is mentioned in the contract.
He was again asked to tell the Commission whether they have other roles apart from increasing the revenue of the council. He said they are also doing the maintenance of the [revenue collection] system, training of the staff and supporting the [revenue] collectors to get the revenue.
At this point of hearing, the witness was tasked to tell the Commission about the revenue collection machines that his company provided to the Basse Area Council.
He responded, saying: “I was coming to that during my briefing. When we get the contract, basically, with any municipality, not with Basse only but with Brikama and Banjul, we are the ones providing all the machines, the system, the application, the training, [and] the dashboard to see all the collections live in the office of the CEO. Yes! So the machine is coming from us. Even the rolls [papers for the machines], we are the ones who are purchasing for the council. So basically, at the starting of the project, the area council will not spend any single butut.”
The witness said they provided 24 machines in the beginning, around 2019, when they started with Basse Area Council. He testified further that there were some damages affecting about 6 machines, and they later provided 15 more machines in 2023.
However, the deputy lead counsel put it to him that according to evidence the Commission had, the machines were not provided in 2019 but in June 2020. The lead counsel also said that it was not 24 but 20 machines.
The replied that he would consult with his company’s admin to verify.
