Mabinta was appointed on 1st of August 2000 and got promoted in 2021 as a market mistress collecting from canteens. The letter of appointment and her promotional letter were both tendered and admitted in evidence. Her written statement was equally admitted in evidence with amendments she made.
She testified she was a collector in Serrekunda in 2018. She said she only had receipts and issued them to people who made payments. She added that she used to hand over her collection to her boss Ebrima Kanteh. She said that she was not using a cash book.
Touray told commissioners that as a market mistress, she said she is responsible for collecting from the canteens. She said that each used to pay D500, but since March 2024 they began paying D650.
The witness provided three (3) books referred to as collectors’ registration books for 2021, 2022 and 2023. Each contains the name, date and the number of receipt books issued to each collector. She also provided cash books for 2021, 2022 and 2023. She further provided her canteen register. They were all tendered and admitted in evidence.
Inexplicable underpayments at inquiry’s limelight
Meanwhile, Cherno Mballow, market master for the Kanifing Municipal Council who appeared on Monday before the Local Government Commission, failed to provide a coherent explanation regarding underpayments.
Mballow testified that the 2018 and 2019 cash books were not found after the search he did in the store, adding that he only came with the 2023 cash book. He testified that he asked the Internal Audit Department about his cash books, but they told him that they were with the finance department.
He said he went to the finance unit and they referred him back to the internal audit. The Commission gave him till Wednesday to produce his cash books. If he still could not see the cash books, Chairperson Jainaba Bah said the Commission would make the necessary orders to the people in charge of those offices to produce the cash books.
He testified that in 2018, he deposited the funds in a bank account of the Council. He said in 2019 there was a decision that all collections should be submitted to the cashiers of the Council, adding he used to give the cashiers the funds he received.
The witness claimed that he submitted all his collections and the monies he received to the cashiers of the Council.
He was questioned over overpayments and shortages (underpayments) in his submissions. The overpayment amounted to D135,465. He was tasked to explain the shortages and overpayments as captured in audit reports.
“We can understand the shortages but not the overpayments,” Chairperson Jainaba Bah said.
Witness Mballow could not provide a satisfactory explanation. He only maintained, “I always submit to the Council what I receive.”
