Suso, taken aback and ambushed by the Commission with evidence of these withdrawals, asked to be given one week to enable him to provide explanation.
“Why will you withdraw money from the council’s accounts?” Counsel Patrick Gomez asked.
Suso responded that he was instructed by the director of finance to do as such, and that this happened when the account clerks were busy.
Referencing the Financial Manual, he was referred to his role as the finance manager after he argued that it was in line with law for him to withdraw from council accounts.
After reading what was contained in the Financial Manual as per his role, he insisted on “any other duties assigned to him from time to time”. He said the instruction was verbal and he only collected the cheques and did the withdrawal.
However, Suso could not cite any legal dictate that served as the basis of his behaviour (the power to withdraw from council accounts)
In spite of his arguments in his resolve to justify his actions, he admitted he was not a cashier and the responsibility to withdraw rested with the cashier and other account clerks.
“We will want you to provide the necessary information to tell us where the money was spent,” Counsel Gomez told him.
“That will be very difficult for me,” Suso said. He requested for a week to get the evidence of the 23,381,286.53 withdrawals. His request was granted.
Before he left, Chairperson Jainaba Bah took time to remind him that the total income BAC received in 2018 was D70,017,038 and D78,508,376.98 in 2019.
