Fabakary Fofana, a senior revenue collector, testified that he withdrew over D1.3 million from multiple council bank accounts without being informed of the purpose. Serving the council since 2007 and currently posted in Farafenni, Fofana told the commission that all the cheques were issued in his name, but he was never provided with details about how the funds were to be used.
“They write cheques in my name, and they would not tell me the purpose,” Fofana stated. “The CEO would issue me cheques, and I would withdraw the money without knowing why.”
The commission, which is investigating local councils' financial practices between May 2018 and January 2023, admitted three of Fofana’s cash books into evidence, covering transactions from 2016 to 2023. Records showed he withdrew 355,000 dalasis from Trust Bank, 150,375 dalasis from Ecobank, 807,900 dalasis from Vista Bank, and 52,462.61 dalasis from Access Bank all on instructions from the then-Chief Executive Officer, Seedy Touray.
In a related development, market manager Babou Ndour also testified before the commission, admitting that he made substantial cash withdrawals on behalf of senior officials but had little knowledge of how the monies were spent.
Ndour, who oversees ten revenue collectors in Farafenni, said he regularly collected cash before depositing it in the bank. He also noted that, on one occasion, he was instructed to use funds for expenses such as fuel or electricity, recording them in his cash book afterward.
During questioning, Ndour was asked about a 165,000-dalasi withdrawal that was reportedly allocated for a cleaning exercise in Farafenni markets and highways. However, he said he had no recollection of any such cleaning effort.
“I cannot remember such an exercise. No one told me about it,” he said.
Another withdrawal, allegedly paid to Ned Enterprise for the same cleaning project, was also brought to his attention. “I am just hearing it here for the first time. I have no idea,” he responded.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez further questioned Ndour about other withdrawals, including sums of 50,000 dalasis, 170,000 dalasis, and 110,000 dalasis. Ndour confirmed he withdrew the funds but insisted he was unaware of their intended use.
“I withdrew the money and gave it to the CEO, but I don’t know the purpose,” he said.
Bank records revealed that Ndour had withdrawn substantial amounts from multiple banks, including 610,715 dalasis from Trust Bank, 1,089,910 dalasis from GTBank, and 4,807,960.46 dalasis from Ecobank. Asked to account for the expenditures, he maintained that his role was limited to withdrawing the money and handing it over to senior officials.
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