Witness faces tough cross-examination from counsel

Mr Saidybah provided gripping testimony that shed light on alleged financial discrepancies within the council in a hearing that unfolded a web of financial irregularities, placing Saidybah at the centre of a controversy.

Saidybah, who holds a diploma in construction from the Gambia Technical Training Institute, began his testimony by outlining his extensive tenure in the council, dating back to the year 2000. He also delved into his journey, from a rent clerk to the acting development officer and eventually the development officer in 2006.

The focus of the inquiry shifted to Saidybah's management of the Mansakonko Area Council Conference Centre in 2020. He detailed the facility's offerings, including VIP rooms priced at D700 per night, other rooms at D600, the conference hall at D2500 per day, and the restaurant at D1000 per day. Saidybah noted that, at times, the restaurant was converted into a hall for hire.

However, the deputy counsel took a dramatic turn to question Saidybah about financial irregularities. Gomez pointed out that the audit report suggested that the receipt books used by Saidybah were not the authorised ones from the Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC). Saidybah acknowledged the fact that the receipt books were not from GPPC but claimed ignorance about the source of the unauthorised receipt books.

Damning allegations surfaced when Saidybah was accused of giving money to senior employees of the Mansakonko Area Council. Counsel Gomez confronted him with his own written statements, where Saidybah initially claimed to give money collected from the Conference Center to Seedy Sanneh, the finance manager. However, during his testimony, Saidybah backtracked, asserting that he never gave anyone cash and instead presented papers to the finance manager.

The crux of the inquiry focused on the unaccounted sum of D977,600 as highlighted in the audit report. Despite Saidybah's insistence that he deposited the money in the council's account, the bank statements contradicted his claims. Confronted with discrepancies in his cashbook entries, including unrecorded collections and retrospective recordings, Saidybah struggled to explain the inconsistencies.

In a particularly tense moment, Gomez demanded accountability, asking Saidybah: "Where is the money?" The witness, initially defiant, fell silent, leaving the panel of commissioners, team of counsels and attending members of the public in suspense.

The testimony also revealed instances of unaccounted for revenue in 2022, further deepening the financial mystery surrounding the Mansakonko Area Council. With the hearing drawing to an end, Saidybah's credibility came under intense scrutiny. However, before he was discharged, he was asked to provide the Commission with some key documents as investigation into some of the unresolved issues progresses.