By Arret Jatta
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry is continuing to probe the financial dealings of the Banjul City Council (BCC).
During yesterday’s sitting, Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez questioned the mayor about a significant amount of money found in her account in 2021.
The mayor was asked about a transfer of D2,55,944.75 from one Juliet Nicole, which she claimed was a support from her friends in Ghana for her initiatives.
“I have a lot of friends who support my initiatives, and most of the time it has to do with the Rohey Malick Lowe Women and Girls Initiative,” the mayor explained.
However, when asked why the funds were transferred to her personal account instead of the foundation’s account, Lowe replied: “The foundation has an account, but it’s possible I wanted it there.”
Gomez further asked whether she had put in a formal request for the support, to which Lowe responded, “No, there was none.”
The chairperson of the Commission Jainaba Bah intervened and asked the mayor who is Juliet (the person that sent the money to the mayor’s account) and the mayor said she is the adviser to REFELA in Ghana.
Asked if Juliet is part of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), mayor said she is the director and advisor to REFELA in Ghana.
Asked by the chairperson if the fund was requested in the name of UCLG, the mayor said: “No, these are personal donations from my friends in Ghana; they mobilised the funds and I told them to give it to her. It has nothing to do with UCLG which doesn’t give money. Instead, we pay UCLG but they have never given money to any country”.
The inquiry also looked into another transaction, a transfer of D1.8 million from one Adama Fofana, who the mayor claimed was her daughter.
“So Adama is my daughter, but the person that sends the money is my younger sister who is on international appointment in Nigeria who often sends monies back home for work on her building in Kotu”,” she explained.
