Trial of the Banjul Mayor Continues
The
trial of the suspended mayor of Banjul, Pa Sallah Jeng continued on
Wednesday, 6th December 2006, before justice Monageng of the High Court.
The
latest prosecution witness to testify was Oumie Sanneh-Badjie, Director
of Finance at the Banjul City Council. In her testimony Mrs. Badjie
told the court that as director of finance, her duty entailed the
disbursement and collection of cash, and the overall supervision of
Council funds. She said she knew the accused, Pa Sallah Jeng, and had
worked with him. She said she was aware of the payment made in respect
of the publication of a book entitled ‘My Time’ for which the BCC made
a payment of D10, 000 to a printing press. She further adduced that she
was authorized by the Chief Executive Officer of the Council to make
the payment.
Mrs. Badjie testified that the invoice came from the
printers in writing and that the payment was accepted and a receipt was
issued to the Council. She stated that she did not know whether or not
the book was a Council publication, adding that she saw the book after
the publication some time in 2005, and that they were issued free to
Council members.
She noted that the Council would have benefited if
the books were sold. She also stated that she did not know whether or
not any member of the Council had participated in the publication. She
identified the book in court as the one she saw and read at the BCC.
She
said a Standard Chartered check was drawn which she signed and passed
on to the CEO for his signature. The check number was identified as
00013497. She also identified a document in court from the Mayor, Pa
Sallah Jeng, authorizing the payment of D10, 000 to EAP, a printing
company situated at Kombo Sillah Drive.
Mrs. Badjie further claimed
in her testimony that if the Council needed goods and services, they
sought quotations from vendors or contractors who were registered with
The Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) and chose quotation that
happened to be the lowest.
On the issue of the trucks, Mrs. Badjie
adduced that at a Council meeting some time in August 2003; the mayor
informed the council about the necessity for the procurement of three
trucks and got the Council’s approval. She said the trucks were
purchased in November 2003, adding that the total cost of the three
trucks was D1.5m.
According to her, a part payment of D300, 000
was effected at the time. She said the CEO directed her to take action
on the payment, which she did. “The payment was however not in
accordance with the procedures laid down by Council, because there was
no tender,” Mrs. Badjie claimed. She said the GPPA would act on any
amount above D350, 000 and that all procurement must comply with the
Act and abide by the GPPA rules. She said as at then, the Council had
completed the payment for the trucks and that the twin ambulances were
already at the port before the Council could seek approval from the
GPPA, disclosing that the CEO authorized payment of D340, 000 but that
the procedures were not followed.
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