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BAC finance boss admits approving unlawful payments

Jul 12, 2024, 10:50 AM | Article By: Ali jaw 

The finance director of the Brikama Area Council, Alagie Jeng, has admitted approving  unlawful payments together with the council  CEO.

Jeng was probed on honorarium paid by BAC to cleaners for cleaning services, which form part of their duties, and he answered that the payments were done with respect to their cleansing services for Sundays and public holidays. 

Chairperson Jainaba Bah later asked what would warrant work on Sunday, since the cleaners should work 6 days a week, but the finance director answered that the situation sometimes gets serious.

Jeng admitted that he knew some of the payments he made together with the CEO were wrong.

The Commission again raised that the BAC made payments to individuals for clearing services without having any contractual relationship with them.

Such payment amounted to D2.5 million. One of the recipients of the payment was one Mustapha Manneh, who received D390,000.

“He did not have a business. He did not register it. We do not have a contract with him. We only hired him to provide us more trucks,” Mr Jeng said.

“Why will you pay someone who does not have a business and does not have a contract with the Council?” Counsel Gomez said.

“We knew what we did was wrong," he reacted.

Counsel Gomez later asked him why he and the CEO approved such payments, but the witness just said that the payments were wrong and they knew they were not in line with the Financial Manual.

Reacting to the question over who decided to effect such payments, the witness said it was he, the CEO and Seedy Kunta (procurement manager).