Bojang has been a revenue collector for the Brikama Area Council since 2002, first as a volunteer and then as a staff. He served in various units; He served as tax and rates collector from 2017 till 2020, when he was moved to the license unit.
The latter part of his testimony yesterday cast doubts as he failed to explain key issues of utmost concern and also even admitted liability in some instances.
He was cross-examined on his collections by serious-minded Lawyer Patrick Gomez, although he claimed that he had always been dedicated and that the records are there to account for his collections. He later provided one cash book and claimed that the other was missing.
A police report, dated 15 September 2022 and signed by the then-officer commanding the Brikama Division, regarding the purported loss of the cash book was admitted into the Commission’s records. The alleged incident happened in 2021, but he said he reported the issue in 2022.
Bojang also claimed that he did weekly reconciliation with the internal audit unit of the BAC and that he deposited all the revenues he collected. However, under intense questioning by the level-headed Lawyer Patrick Gomez, who used the witness’s own cash book and bank deposit slips to prove that his claims were not authentic, Bojang later backtracked.
Again, the auditors from the National Audit Office (NAO) indicated in a report that there were GTRs and cash books that were not presented during the audit process. The auditors specifically state that the witness did not submit two GTR books.
Bojang told the top Lawyer that he submitted his receipt books to Yaya Bah of the same council, although he said he had no evidence to proof it and did not sign anywhere to show that he surrendered the receipt book
Nonetheless, he held that deposited the monies collected using those two GTR books to the principal cashier.
The veteran revenue collector said he was informed by the ex-CEO Modou Jonga that he would pay D16,000 for the GTRs that were not presented. A letter, dated 14 November 2022 and signed by the acting director of administration, Ebrima Sawaneh, on behalf of the CEO of BAC, was tendered into evidence.
The inquiry however established that Bojang only paid D10,000 and did not pay the balance. Lack of deposit slips for audit purposes was also raised.
Bojang provided a cashbook covering his license collections from July 2020 to date, and it was tendered into evidence.
Lawyer Gomez brought to the notice of the witness the queries of the auditors regarding missing funds from April 2022 to July 2022, amounting D20,000.
The day’s session intensified and the Lawyer, leading questioning of the witness, now shifted to cross-examine the witness, using the former’s very own cashbook. He raised several transactions.
Gomez began, disclosing that in 2022 Bojang collected D98,500 but deposited D98,000 to the bank. Gomez said that in another transaction, Bojang collected D36,500 but only deposited D29500.
There was also an instance where he collected D16,250 but did not deposit it, and there was no receipt. Bojang was also given a D40,000 receipt for a collection in July 2022, according to Lawyer Gomez, but the collected amount was more than D40,000.
Cognisant of these variances in the amounts collected and the amounts deposited, Gomez told the witness that it was wrong to say his cashbook is intact.
The witness agreed. However, he attributed these substantial differences to miscalculation. He said he was going to pay the balances
The Lawyer however rebuked these claims. Gomez again mentioned the witness’s purportedly lost cashbook, saying: “No one would ever know how much you collected and what happened to that money.
Bojang held that he was under oath and was speaking the truth. The missing book had 100 paper sheets.
Ordered to search and provide the Commission with key missing documents, which he took note of and promised to provide, Bojang was subsequently discharged.
