The Government has accepted adverse findings against Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda and ordered a criminal investigation, a move his UNITE party and Coalition 2026 described as political manoeuvre.
The actions are contained in the Government White Paper on the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, published yesterday alongside the Commission's report. The Commission was established in February 2023 by the President under Section 200 of the Constitution to inquire into the administration and financial management of eight Local Government Councils.
On Bensouda, the Commission found he unlawfully received D10,000 honorarium in 2018 outside the approved budget and failed to refund it. It found the honorarium for Mayor and Councillors involved an inflated D270,000 calculation, including the D10,000, reflecting weak finance review.
It found his handwritten endorsements such as "CEO, pay" and "approved" on vouchers facilitated payments and amounted to irregular authorization, despite his claim they approved activities. It found his office indirectly interfered in recruitment favouring supporters, particularly Isatou Faal and Nuru Deen Adams, constituting abuse of office. Salaries from such appointments constitute unauthorized expenditure under Section 13 of the Local Government Finance and Audit Act 2004.
It also found procurement under his leadership had incomplete documentation, missing minutes and lack of GPPA registration, and that allegations of unbanked collections and deleted records were not addressed as investigations ordered did not produce reports or recoveries.
The Commission found the D105 million Mbalit truck contract poorly drafted, with vague clauses, legal advice sought after signing and duty waivers wrongly assumed, leading to D13.1 million unplanned costs. Audit reports were not consistently debated, with statutory oversight not fulfilled, particularly in 2020.
It recommended economic crime, surcharge, legislative review, fitness for public office review, improper behaviour and negligence.
Government accepted the recommendations in full, holding Bensouda's conduct as improper and negligent. It said his testimony established executive influence capable of causing irregular commitments, even though he stressed the CEO was Accounting Officer.
On economic crime, government said Mbalit irregularities reflected weak oversight and directed the IGP to initiate criminal investigation to establish prima facie culpability, and transmit to Attorney General for prosecution if established.
On surcharge, it referred the matter to the Auditor General to conduct forensic audit and recovery of the D10,000.
Shortly after, UNITE and Coalition 2026 said the timing, hours after IEC published the nomination calendar, was intended to confuse the public.
"The Commission has not banned Talib Ahmed Bensouda from contesting. The White Paper cannot ban him. The Nomination will proceed as scheduled," they said.
7 November 2026 is the date IEC allocated to UNITE to file nomination papers.
