By Arret Jatta
Kawsu Jawaneh the Finance Manager 2 at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), on Monday 25th November, explained to the Local Government Commission of Inquiry the nature surrounding the missing General Tax Receipts (GTRs) at the council.
Kawsu explained that the acting director of finance at KMC, one Sheriff Njie, brought a man in his office who was supposed to be responsible for collecting data.
“He said the man will be responsible for collecting data for him and they had no place for him at the moment and he would like me to share my office with the man. I cannot remember the full name of the guy but I know the surname is Secka,” he said.
Mr Jawaneh further explained that “within a week being with that man in the same office, I observed that one of my GTRs was missing. I wrote to the acting director of finance and copied the compliance director Dembo Sanneh for them to help me find the GTR”.
The witness added that he didn’t trust the guy from the onset, also noting that he was removed from his office, when the GTR got missing.
“Apart from getting the man out of your office, did they do something about the missing GTR book?” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez asked.
“The follow-up has not been forthcoming both by my boss Director of Finance and Compliance I did not have any feedback from them from 2018 till date,” he replied.
As the Finance Director, Mr Jawaneh was responsible for issuing GTRs to collectors.
He also mentioned that he issued a GTR book to one Gabou Joko, who also claimed that he lost his GTR while coming from his residence to work.
