Talib Bensouda – KMC
Government directed the Kanifing Municipal Council to initiate removal of Talib Ahmed Bensouda for alleged misconduct and abuse of office.
The Commission found Bensouda allegedly received a D10,000 honorarium in 2018 outside the approved budget and failed to refund it, and was part of an inflated D270,000 honorarium computation for Mayor and councillors.
It said handwritten endorsements such as “CEO, pay” and “approved” by the Mayor on payment vouchers and procurement documents facilitated irregular expenditure and undermined segregation of duties. Bensouda claimed they related to activities, not amounts.
The inquiry found his office indirectly influenced staff recruitment and contract appointments, favouring political supporters, citing appointments of Isatou Faal and Nuru Deen Adams. It also flagged incomplete procurement records, missing Contracts Committee minutes, unbanked collections and deleted financial records.
On the flagship D105 million Mbalit truck procurement,it alleged that poor contract drafting and wrongly assumed import duty waivers resulted in D13.1 million in unplanned costs to the council.
Government referred the case to the IGP for economic crimes investigation and to the Auditor General for forensic audit and recovery of the D10,000.
Rohey Malick Lowe – Banjul
Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe is facing removal after the government accepted findings of improper behaviour, negligence and failure of oversight at Banjul City Council (BCC).
Government referred her case to the General Council for removal and directed IGP to investigate three major transactions:
1. D795,000 in council funds allegedly used to pay legal fees for a case where Lowe was sued in her personal capacity;
2. A Toyota Hilux allegedly purchased through the Rohey Malick Lowe Women and Girls Empowerment Initiative;
3. A D13.8 million contract for supply of 300 dustbins.
On the dustbin contract, the LG Commission said the supplier admitted having a personal relationship with the mayor and said she directly communicated the tender opportunity to him. The Commission also questioned use of restricted tendering, invitation of only three bidders, unverified claims about supplier qualifications and inflated pricing.
It found Lowe allegedly issued verbal instructions for payments outside approved budget lines and exercised influence over financial and administrative operations beyond her statutory oversight role. It also identified D400,000 in unretired imprests linked to the Banjul Rehabilitation Project.
IGP will investigate; if a prima facie case is established, the Attorney General will prosecute. The Auditor General will conduct a forensic audit into legal fees and imprests for surcharge.
Sheriffo Sonko – Brikama
Former Brikama Area Council Chairman Sheriffo Sonko faces police investigation for alleged financial losses while in office. Although he left BAC in 2023 and now serves in the Foreign Service, the government referred his fitness to remain in public service to the Public Service Commission.
The Commission found an understatement of D9.31 million in council revenue, D1,301,500 paid without adequate supporting documentation, and payment of Koriteh and Tobaski/Salibo festive allowances without ministerial approval, for which Sonko bears supervisory responsibility.
It declared the award of contract to 5C Energy unlawful for failure to comply with competitive procurement requirements despite GPPA advice. It also found land transactions undertaken by BAC between May 2018 and January 2023 without required ministerial approval were unlawful, with Sonko and former CEOs responsible.
Government directed the IGP to investigate alleged losses and the Auditor General to initiate recovery of unlawful allowances.
Landing B Sanneh – Mansakonko
Mansakonko Area Council Chairman Landing B. Sanneh is facing removal for financial mismanagement and negligence.
The Commission found Sanneh allegedly failed to exercise statutory oversight, allowing operation of an off-budget Covid-19 Task Force account without council approval. It ruled all donations paid into the account were public funds regardless of source.
It found procurement violations in Covid-19 supplies – no Contracts Committee decisions, no approved procurement methods, no competitive quotations and no GPPA authorisation. It flagged unexplained overpayments to Nemasu Enterprise which neither supplier nor officials could account for, with Sanneh admitting fraud could not be ruled out.
It also found overdrafts obtained without council approval and revenue collectors allowed to spend collections outside formal imprest procedures.
Government directed the IGP to investigate the Covid-19 account and the Auditor General to conduct forensic audit and surcharge proceedings. The General Council was directed to remove him and review his fitness to hold office.
Government said all cases will proceed to prosecution where investigations establish criminal liability, and that the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs is reviewing the Local Government Act 2002 and Finance and Audit Act 2004 to close loopholes exposed by the Commission.
Saikou Jawara – Chairman Kuntaur Area Council
The Government has directed Kuntaur Area Council to remove its chairman, Saikou Jawara, from office over gross misconduct, .
The Commission found that Jawara failed to exercise effective financial and administrative oversight during his tenure, including co-signing cheques linked to an unauthorised overdraft facility without verifying whether the required ministerial approval had been obtained.
In his testimony before the Commission, Jawara acknowledged co-signing cheques connected to the Trust Bank overdraft account. However, he said he understood the arrangement to be temporary and had relied on the Chief Executive Officer’s explanation that it was intended to facilitate salary and contractor payments while awaiting government subventions.
He also admitted that he did not request written ministerial approval for the overdraft or personally verify bank reconciliations, audit queries and financial statements before signing them for submission to the Ministry. He said he relied on the Finance Department to carry out the necessary checks.
The Commission considered these admissions a failure to discharge his statutory and fiduciary responsibilities as Chairman. It found that his failure to verify the legality of the overdraft amounted to gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
The Commission further concluded that his passive approach to oversight allowed senior council officials to engage in unauthorised borrowing, irregular procurement and the misuse of public funds.
Jawara also acknowledged that the Council’s Finance and Establishment Committees were largely inactive under his leadership and that Council meetings were held infrequently, citing logistical difficulties and budget constraints.
On the approval of allowances, travel imprests and per diems for councillors and staff, he admitted that these payments were sometimes authorised without consulting the Council or verifying budget availability.
The Commission also raised concerns over appointments made by the Council, noting Jawara’s admission that some appointments were intended to reward loyalty and commitment. He maintained that the appointments had helped the Council, with arguments presented that political appointees contributed to stabilising its operations during election periods.
In its recommendations, the Commission called for legislative review, surcharge proceedings and action over what it considered negligence and improper conduct
The Government accepted the recommendation for a legislative review but maintained that the existing legal framework adequately provides for council governance and financial management. It attributed the problems identified in Jawara’s case to failures in enforcing existing laws rather than gaps in legislation.
The Government also accepted the recommendation for a surcharge and directed the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit of all irregular financial transactions involving Jawara during the period under review. The audit is expected to cover, among other matters, the approval of allowances, travel imprests and per diems for councillors and staff without consultation with the council.
According to the White paper, where the audit establishes any quantifiable financial loss attributable to Jawara or another person, the Auditor General is to initiate surcharge proceedings against those responsible.
On the question of negligence and improper behaviour, the Government described Jawara’s conduct as gross misconduct, citing his failure to address audit queries, his involvement in cheques linked to loans and overdrafts, and his authorisation of imprest payments for allowances and per diems that fell outside his authority as Council Chairman.
Suspension of senior officials
In the case of senior appointed officers of the councils the White paper recommended the suspension of former CEO Of KMC Sainabou Martin Sonko for among other things issuing payments without approval, and giving loan guarantees for staff welfare bodies without council approval and directed the Attorney General to bring bribery and corruption proceedings against her.
Also, Finance Director Dr Alieu Keita and former acting CEO Kajali Janneh have been referred for a review of their fitness for office, and a surcharge and police investigation.
The government also ordered the immediate suspension of former Banjul City Council CEO Mustapha Batchilly and ordered the police to investigate him and also called for the prosecution under economic crimes of director of planning Katim Touray.
Another official, Samba M.K. Leigh, (CEO Janjangbureh from 2016 to 2021) is being accused of procurement violations and using funds on private issues. He is referred to the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) for discipline, and to the Auditor General for surcharging and Ministry of Justice to prosecution if the evidence meets the thresholds for economic crime, corruption, abuse of office, false accounting, theft or misappropriation.
Pa Sait Ceesay, (CEO Janjangbureh Area Council from 2021 2023) has been referred to the Local Government Services Commission for immediate suspension and a fitness review. It also ordered the auditor general and IGP to investigate his conduct.
