By Mama A. TourayManaging Director Modou Jaiteh and Director of Finance Bunja Janneh at Green Vision International Ltd on Tuesday before the ongoing local government Commission of Inquiry gave a marathon testimony on the 3 million Baja Kunda Bridge construction project at Basse.Testifying on the letter dated 13 August 2021 addressed to the project director of Basse Area Council for the payment of the 30% for the
second installment, the witness previously testified that after receiving the first advance payment of 40% of the contract payment from Basse area council, a few months later the council posted a 30% payment into the account amounting to D1, 178,522.
Janneh further testified that “After sending the letter to the area council, the consultant (Baldeh Construction firm) sent us an email confirming that they have received the letter and that we have to proceed with the work, and also the advance payment they did, they said that can cover up to the end of August”.
He told the commission that at the time of writing this letter they (Green Vision international) have already purchased all the materials needed for the site and base on the contract the advance payment was to purchase materials and after the purchase of materials that was when they wrote the letter to the area council.
“He (the consultant) replied through email that we should start work before we request payment and that we proceed with the work till around September they made the payment. They notified us that they will make payment through supersonic microfinance” he explained.
The witness testified the council asked if their institution is having an account with supersonic microfinance because that is where they have their funds. He said that was when he sent their supersonic account number and the transfer was done.
Lead Counsel Cox found from the bank statement that Green Vision received a payment from supersonic with an amount of D1, 945,818 and the amount shown as transferred was D1, 942, 817.20.
When asked what they did after seeing the overpayment, Janneh said “When the payment came into our account, the Finance director called me because at the time supersonic does not have an SMS alert, so the
Finance Director called me on the 9th September that they have made an overpayment to our account. I told him that I am out of the country but when I go back to the office I will laisse with my account officer at supersonic to confirm whether we have an inflow, when I went back to the office, I called the account officer and she went through our accounts and told me that yes you (Green Vision) have an inflow from Basse Area Council and she told me the amount is D1, 947, 000
Janneh said after that he called the Finance Director of Basse area Council that they have overpaid their account when the [payment was supposed to be 30% and that the Finance Director asked if they can refund the remaining.
Janneh said he told the Finance Director and the CEO and they both asked him to refund the difference of D392, 840 as an overpayment.
Janneh said upon his return from Senegal he called the finance Director and told him that you made a miscalculation, instead of 30% you made left 40% with us and the Finance Director told him that he realized that when he went back.
The witness said the finance Director told him that the council is supposed to pay another contractor and that Green Vision should refund the remaining difference.
Bunja said the difference was supposed to be D767, 000 while the directed collected D374, 455 and that he confirmed from the CEO and the Finance Director sent an account number for them to send the remaining difference.
Janneh said then they paid the difference of D392, 841 to Allah tentu agency number which he said is not the council’s account number.
Bunja said after the construction of the bridge, they realized that the quantities on the document and on the ground are different.
Bunja stated that when they wrote on the difference he said the Council through the Consultant though a telephone call told them to continue work the council will pay the difference.
In the witness statement it is stated that the council made a payment of D1, 178, 521 when green vision international ltd did not request for payment.
“It was on the 4th October when I received a call from Susso the Director of Finance that they have mistakenly paid funds into our supersonic account. I told him I did not ask for any payment, so how come you paid fund into our account and he said there was an overlap and I responded him that this money, can’t be refunded by just a WhatsApp call until you write officially to us that you have mistakenly paid funds into our account” he explained to the commission.
Janneh further explained that he told the Finance Director that they will not pay any money into the Allah tentu account because they realised that the account belongs to the Finance Director Susso of the Council.
The money D1, 178, 521 he said was deposited in the trust bank account of Basse Area Council on the 8th October by Ousman Bojang an employee of Green Vision.
He said he snapped the receipt and sent it to the council and they confirmed upon receipt of the fund.
Bunja Darboe further testified that the contract took them five months three days and after that they wrote to the council that they are done with the work and that in twenty-one days they will hand the bridge to the council and claim their payment.
“There was no payment after the completion of the work, I followed up until the 6th of January 2022 they made payment to our account D500,000 to our supersonic account, when they made this payment
and we (Green Vision) realized that it was 500,000, I called the director of finance and he said he is on leave, I called the CEO and told him that what they paid is not the actual amount they supposed to pay us and he replied that they have financial constraints and that we should give them time. On the 29th of March, they made a payment of 300,000 to our account, and on August 25th, 2022, they paid 200,000, and just a few months ago we received our balance of D95000”.
