Jaja Cham began working for KMC as a clerk in 2006, although he left two years later. He returned as director of administration in 2016/2017.
He testified that he became acting CEO for a year and four months following the resignation of Salama Njie. The position was subsequently advertised by the Ministry of Local Government and he was among the five applicants shortlisted. However, the Ministry appointed Sainabou Martin-Sonko, to whom he handed over.
On storage of documents and files, he said the cash books and related financial books are under the custody of the finance unit. Cham claimed that KMC had a strategic plan as of 2018 and he was requested to bring it. However, it was his testimony that there were no internal audit reports for 2018 and 2019.
“It is only recently that we started it. I mean 2024 is when we started having internal audit reports,” he testified.
He later stated that he thought there were some reports prepared by the assistant who took over the internal audit unit, although he said he was “not sure”.
He did, however, note that there were some audit reports conducted but he could not confirm the periods of those audit exercises.
The KMC admin director alluded that from 2018 to 2023, there were salary increments provoked by council resolutions.
