Witness Modou A. Njie made this disclosure in his statement that he used to instruct collectors to make direct payments for the clearing of the ‘suck-away’.
He also said that he was always in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and when approved, he pre-financed it from the cash collected from the markets and later wrote to the Council for a refund.
When this was put to him, he claimed that he only gave instructions but he did not receive the money.
Quizzed as to how he used to receive approval from the CEO, he recalled a meeting he had with the CEO and finance director, that when the suck-away was filled, they needed to communicate and make the payment.
The reason for this arrangement, he added, was because when he sent requests to the KMC’s main office it usually takes days before approval was granted, while the market vendors complained and made noise over the state of the ‘suck-away’.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez provided the witness with a payment voucher dated 7th November 2022, being a refund for the vacuum tanker for some markets.
He was also given another payment voucher as refund for the hiring of vacuum tankers for some of the markets.
The witness said he communicated it to the CEO and this was verbally approved.
The payment voucher dated 21st October 2022, had receipts as attachments, all bearing his name.
The second voucher was dated 7th November 2022 with three receipts attached and a request signed by him.
Njie was then asked why no requests were sent for the payments concerning the clearing of the vacuum tankers.
He attributed that to the delays in approving the requests by the KMC main office.
He however, revealed that the ‘suck-away’ at the Serrekunda Market usually gets filled every two days; Tallinding market twice every week and the satellite markets once every month.
He explained that when the ‘suck-away’ are filled he instructs for a video to be taken and sent to him, saying he still had the videos in his phone.
Njie however, revealed that the CEO flouted the procurement rules. “I was only acting based on instructions,” he added.
At this point, the Commission provided him with the Financial Manual for Local Government, which requires depositing all revenue collected in the Council's bank account and strict adherence to procurement rules.
Njie acknowledged that all monies collected should go to the bank, but remained silent when asked how he could account for the money.
After a while, he said he doesn’t think the CEO will approve this money when he knew it was not emptied.
“How about you and the CEO working together to get this approved and then you share the money?” Counsel Gomez challenged.
Njie responded that he would never do as such.
“How would you account for the money?” Gomez further asked the witness.
But Njie maintained that he was given the wrong directive, adding, “He is the CEO and the spending officer.”
