Fatou's testimony unfolded grim details as she confessed to her actions during the proceedings held at the chambers of the Djembe Hotel in Senegambia.
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry was presented with written statements dated 7th March 2024, wherein Dampha acknowledged her role as a revenue collector at BAC since 2014, initially assigned to the rates and taxes unit before being redeployed to the license unit in 2017.
Her responsibilities include overseeing revenue collection in the Nemasu area, exclusively from local businesses.
During her testimony, Dampha revealed instances where she failed to deposit the entire sums collected, resulting in substantial shortages. When questioned about discrepancies highlighted in the 2019 audit report, she admitted to withholding D6,050, attributing it to possible miscalculations.
"It might be a calculation problem," she told the Commission.
Cognisant of the gravity of the issue discussed, the counsel did not take things lightly. “You use the money on your personal issues,” he told Dampha, who replied in the affirmative.
Under intense scrutiny by Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez, Dampha admitted utilising council funds for personal expenses, indicating a pattern of financial mismanagement. Shockingly, the 2019 audit report documented an accumulated shortfall of over D33,000, a revelation that Dampha acknowledged with what seemed to be remorse.
Furthermore, Dampha disclosed borrowing D50,000 from the council in 2021, which she claimed to have since repaid. However, Chairperson Jainaba Bah requested evidence of repayment, casting doubt on the integrity of her statements.
Evidence presented, including Dampha's cashbook spanning 2018 to 2022, further corroborated her inconsistent financial practices. An additional statement dated 21st March 2024 revealed belated repayment attempts, raising further concerns regarding her accountability.
The lodgment roll (register) of the council indicated that from 24th February to 2nd March 2022, Madam Dampha collected D60,000, but she did not go for auditing. In September there was a balance of D250, and from 12th May 2022 to the 18th May 2022, there was a collection of D25,000.
The witness was given the bank statements of BAC to juxtapose with her deposits with respect to her collections. The witness was able to trace some of her deposits. However, in most instances she did not deposit all her collections. “I was not aware of these shortages,” she said.
The inquiry also established that Dampha failed to undergo auditing despite significant collections, as indicated by the BAC's lodgement register.
In February 2022, Fatou Dampha deposited D50,000, but the records in the council showed that her collection was more than that. The Commission highlighted that she was given a receipt of D59,000 when her deposit was only D50,000 at Eco Bank.
This revelation underscored the magnitude of corruption within the revenue collection system in the local governance structure. This not only implicated Dampha but also raised questions about the council's internal controls.
Chairperson Jainaba Bah, however, intervened to highlight fraudulent practices within the council, citing instances where Dampha received inflated receipts compared to her actual deposits.
The chairperson explained: “We understand that the receipts that the cashier gave you were fraudulent because when we check the accounts we realise different amounts. You deposit less than the receipts you were given,”
The discrepancy between her reported collections and actual deposits exposed a systemic failure in financial oversight of the local governance structure, which has already been laid bare by the Commission.
Madam Dampha was discharged but her business before the Commission remained unresolved. Therefore, she would be recalled for reappearance this week.
