By Arret Jatta
The Lead Counsel of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry Patrick Gomez yesterday alleged that Banjul City Council (BCC) is notorious for disregarding procurement rules.
Gomez said this during the testimony of Musa Dem a businessman who had a contract with BCC to supply 3000 coconut seedlings and 440 bags of organic fertilizer.
When asked how he was contracted, the witness said he was sent an email with the tender document.
However, in his statement to the investigators, the witness had said he had received a telephone call from a staff of BCC .
Asked to explain, the witness said he received a call from a lady who identified herself as a staff member from BCC who asked for his email address.
Asked who the lady was, the witness said he cannot remember her name.
“How did they get your contact,” Lead Counsel Gomez asked. “I don’t know. May be the council may have all the numbers of registered businesses in Banjul,” the witness responded.
Counsel Gomez however doubted that, saying if there is one area council that is notorious for disregarding procurement rules, that is BCC.
He further told the witness that he may have known someone or has connection there because BCC is unlikely to keep a register of businesses and in any case he is not known for supplying seedlings and fertilizer.
However the witness insisted that he had received a call from someone at BCC.
When asked if he had ever had this kind of contract before the BCC offer, the witness said he could not remember.
“That is exactly my point. If you as the contractor cannot remember doing a similar work before, how about the people who contracted you? They must have known what you do for them to contact you. So it must be through connection; that is how it works and that is what runs this country,” Lead Counsel Gomez said.
