The Government has ordered immediate suspension and economic crime proceedings against former Brikama Area Council CEO Modou Jonga after Commission found he reversed lawful financial authorisation by signing cheques before supporting documents were assembled and diverted D33,713,176.01 in quarry royalties meant for affected communities to pay salaries and overdrafts.
In White Paper released 29 October 2026, Government fully accepted findings that Jonga as accounting officer bore primary responsibility for weak pre-payment controls, unsupported expenditure and revenue suppression flagged repeatedly by internal auditor Sulayman Barry, admitting funds meant for quarry communities under MOU were commingled with ordinary Council funds contrary to Local Government Finance and Audit Act 2004 and Public Finance Act 2014, directing LGSC to suspend him pending fitness review and Attorney General to prosecute under Economic Crimes Act while deferring surcharge until outcome of trial.
Commission was established in February 2023 by President under Section 200 of Constitution and Legal Notice No. 7 of 2023 to inquire into eight Councils.
On Jonga, Commission found as former CEO, he bore primary administrative and accounting responsibility. His testimony confirmed he was authorised bank signatory, approved vouchers and cheques, and accepted withdrawals were sometimes made before complete documents were assembled, with documentation prepared later.
Commission said this reversed lawful order of public financial authorisation and exposed BAC funds to unsupported expenditure and significant loss.
It found Jonga failed to enforce pre-payment controls, admitting he did not personally verify each supporting document before signing cheques and relied heavily on Finance Department. Explanation does not absolve him because CEO remained controlling authority responsible for ensuring funds were spent only on properly approved, documented and auditable transactions.
Internal Auditor Sulayman Barry said audit reports and weekly logs disclosed repeated revenue suppression, weak recovery, delayed reconciliations, payments without procurement documents and management failure to act on recommendations. Commission said these directly implicated CEO, Director of Finance and senior management in supervisory dereliction.
Liability was aggravated by admissions on Geology/Royalty Fund. Jonga admitted approximately D33,713,176.01 was paid as 20 per cent royalty share for quarry communities, but funds were not kept in separate account, were commingled with ordinary funds, and used to offset overdrafts, salaries and recurrent expenditure rather than applied to communities as required under MOU.
It found conduct discloses maladministration, breach of financial-control duties under Local Government Finance and Audit Act 2004, Public Finance Act 2014 and Financial Regulations 2016, warranting surcharge and investigation.
Commission recommended suspension, economic crime, surcharge, administrative sanction and fitness review. Government accepted all.
It referred matter to LGSC to immediately suspend Jonga pending fitness review, directed Attorney General to institute proceedings under Economic Crimes Act for unsupported withdrawals and misapplication of royalties, and deferred surcharge pending outcome, noting penalty under Economic Crimes Act includes fines equivalent to loss and imprisonment, similar effect to surcharge, while stating Auditor General retains power to initiate surcharge to protect public funds.
