Ida had previously testified that she made a total collection of D4,359,197.
She explained that all the collections were used to make payments for salaries, cash power, vouchers, and advanced salaries. She stated that she did not deposit anything in the banks because she was following the instructions of Finance Director Alagie Jeng.
When this information was put to the finance director, he confirmed as such. He stated that Ida Jallow is a cashier, although she maintained, with a mild smile, that she is a revenue collector.
Alagie Jeng, at this juncture, came with a variant claim, stating that Ida was appointed a revenue collector but was redeployed as a cashier. Ida highlighted that she had no background in accounting or finance.
Answering to questions, Jeng acknowledged that there was no redeployment letter given to her, thus subsequently confirming that she was only a revenue collector.
The Commission handed the cash book of Ida to Jeng. Scrutinizing it, he stated there was no single bank deposit slip in the cash book. Jeng said revenue collectors were not asked to deposit at the bank, because their collections were to be used as petty cash.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez referred him to the testimony of ex-CEO Modou Jonga, who said there was a written instruction given to the director of finance and all managers for all monies collected to be deposited in the bank. Jeng confirmed Jonga’s testimony as authentic, thus eventually saying his previous statement – that collectors were not asked to deposit to the bank – as false.
Jeng produced some papers purportedly containing extracts from his electronic cash book for the period 2022. They were tendered and admitted in evidence.
But the lead counsel insisted that that did not “explain anything about the monies Ida Jallow gave” him.
Jeng agreed but requested time to trace all the vouchers for the monies to provide an explanation of the spending.
Counsel Gomez said, “whatever she did was under your instructions.”
Jeng also said he had no receipt regarding the purported expenditures and could not provide an answer as to why.
At this dramatic juncture, the lead counsel saw the need to refer him to the Financial Manual for Local Government regarding payments for petty cash and the petty cash system. Jeng admitted no rules or procedures were adhered to.
Jeng further testified that Ida Jallow was not a cashier, contrary to his earlier evidence.
“Why was she allowed to make these payments on her own?” the lead counsel posed.
“The decision,” Jeng replied, “was made by the CEO and director of finance .... The decision was wrong
Additionally, Ida Jallow said that when she was a market collector, she used to give all her collections to the market master Bunja Jadama. Alagie Jeng claimed that Bunja used to deposit all the monies he received from the revenue collectors. On making this statement, the Commission requested him to account for those monies as the director of finance.
Jeng will reappear to provide the vouchers for over D4 million from Ida Jallow and other collectors.
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