By Tabora Bojang
Continuing the presentation of their report before the National Assembly, auditors at the National Audit Office yesterday reported that during their audit of nationwide road projects, they discovered that project personnel of the National Roads Authority (NRA) have requested personal items such as mobile phones, laptops and staff accommodation from a contractor, Gai Construction, creating appearance of “impropriety, potential conflict of interest and compromise transparency and independence in project supervision.”
The auditors added that this could also undermine public confidence in the integrity of the project.
The NAO officials explained that they came across these acts when they identified three correspondences from the NRA addressed to the contractor GAI Construction Ltd in which NRA project personnel requested items such as mobile phones, laptops, a printer and staff accommodation, justifying them as necessary for effective supervision of works and working relationships among Project Implementation Unit PIU members.
According to the auditors, the request for the following NRA personnel was made to the contractor Gai Construction on August 19 2025: Falou G Ndow, Project coordinator-(iphone 16 Pro), Omar S Bah Project manager-(iphone 14 Pro), Omar SaidyKhan Project Manager-(iPhone 14 Pro), Ebrima Kuyateh Lead Engineer-(Samsung GalaxyS24), Joseph Demba Lead Engineer-(Samsung GalaxyS24) Musa Jallow Site Inspector-(Samsung Galaxy A56) and Bakary Ceesay Lab Technician-(Samsung Galaxy A56.).
The auditors added that another unnamed project staff was also provided accommodation on site by Gai Constrcution.
The auditors noted with concern that such requests if fulfilled by the contractor may constitute an unauthorised benefit or inducement, in contravention of the Public Procurement Act and ethical standards. The NAO further noted that even if the request is not fulfilled, the act creates an appearance of impropriety and potential conflict of interest between the employer’s representatives and the contractor and compromise transparency and independence in project supervision and could undermine public confidence in the integrity of the project.
On the implication of such requests, the auditors warned that failure to enforce ethical and procurement compliance controls increases the risk of “undue influence, loss of objectivity and potential corruption, leading to reputational and fiduciary damage” to the NRA.
NRA’s response
In their response to these findings, NRA argued that the audit period under review is for the year ended 31st December 2024 and that the correspondences referenced in the findings are dated 19 August 2025 and 3 September 2025, which fall outside the scope of the audit period.
“This timing difference is important because any actions, communications, or administrative issues occurring in 2025 were not part of the operational, financial, or governance activities of the Authority for the 2024 financial year, and therefore should not form part of the audit findings for that period,” the Authority insisted. The NRA further stated that the items referenced by auditors are not personal benefits or inducements but are standard project supervision tools intended solely to facilitate project supervision.
NAO maintains its stance
Responding to the NRA management, the auditors insisted that the primary issue extends beyond dates to the significant values tied to procuring high-end communication devices (e.g., iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, laptops, printers).
“Notably, the EPC contract was signed in July 2023, and the audit examined the contract holistically—encompassing all budgeted provisional sums within scope, irrespective of financial year—to assess compliance with procurement regulations,” the NAO concluded.
