BCC accused of fraud in D13M procurement

Ida revealed that during her tenure, BCC attempted to procure trash bins using specifications that were blatantly “copy and pasted” from a KMC procurement specification of truck without proper customisation or needs assessment for Banjul. “I told them this was not how it should be done. We should have our own specifications, tailored to BCC’s needs,” she testified.

Prior to her intervention she said the said copied procurement proposal had been rejected by the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA), due to concerns that BCC’s internal procurement team was not properly involved. 

She disclosed that her professional fallout with BCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mustapha Batchilly, stemmed from her refusal to comply with irregular procurement procedures.

Ida said she was sidelined and reassigned shortly after questioning the process, particularly when the contract was set to be awarded to Kebba and Sons, a supplier she alleges is related to Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe. “I called out the conflict of interest. This contract should have gone through open tender, but instead, it was being pushed for a specific supplier,” she said.

The former officer also recounted being summoned back to the office after closing by CEO Mustapha Batchilly and Director of Admin Katim Touray, who allegedly tried to pressure her into compliance. 

“They told me I was picked by the mayor to accompany them to Turkey, implying I owed her. I refused, saying it felt like a bribe,” Ida testified.

Ida further claimed she was told by the CEO that she was seen as an “obstacle” and that they would go as far as approaching her family members to get her to comply.

In addition to the trash bin scandal, Ida Njie also highlighted irregularities in a 2018 furniture procurement, where Mayor Lowe reportedly insisted on purchasing from a specific vendor, J-Mart, despite another company, Fatima Trading, being more responsive and cost-effective. 

In backing her claims, she provided the commission with documents, including delivery notes signed by a non-staff member, invoices from both companies, and her own correspondence warning of irregularities. She said she was later placed on indefinite suspension, suspected to be retribution for speaking up.

Despite attempts to keep her away from the office including a three-month salary freeze and suspension, Ida Njie said she returned to work after receiving an informal request through her mother.