By Mama A. Touray
Revenue collector Muhammed Susso has disclosed at the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that Lamin Suso, the Finance Director of Basse Area Council collected the council fund – twelve thousand dalasi (D12,000) from him.
Narrating his encounter with Lamin Susso, the Finance Director of the council, Muhammed Suso said he was from collection and heading to the council when he received a call from Director Suso asking him to come to the office as they have something to sort out at the office (area council).
Upon arrival, Susso said Lamin Suso requested from him the money he had collected from his daily collection “I just took the money from my bag and gave him because he was my boss”.
He said the money taken from him amounted to Twelve Thousand Dalasi (D12,000).
He explained that the Establishment Committee of the council summoned him to a meeting inquiring about the money he gave Director of Finance Suso.
But he admitted before the Committee that he had given Director Suso the money.
Muhammed Suso further explained that when he was asked to recover the money from Lamin Susso the Finance Director, he went to his office demanding the refund of the money.
“I pinned him and told him it is either you give me the money or else you won’t move an inch out of your office,” he testified.
He said that was when the Director of Finance Lamin Suso gave him Six Thousand Dalasi (D6,000) with the promise that he would repay the remaining D6,000, which he said is yet to be paid.
The witness said during his tenure serving as the revenue collector for Tumana he had always ensured he deposited the revenue into the council’s account with the bank on the same day “I don’t go home with money. I always deposit it on the same day”.
Muhammed Suso informed the commission that after giving the Director of Finance the money that was when he came to realize that it was wrong.
The witness said Director Susso acknowledged receipt of money before the audit exercise by the National Audit Office. He added that in one of the council’s meetings, Director Susso apologized to him and other revenue collectors for collecting monies from them.
The audit report indicated that on 29 March 2023, Muhammed Suso deposited the sum of Fifty Three Thousand Dalasi (D53,000) into the account of Lamin Suso, Finance Director.
In reacting to this Muhammed Suso said “That was the brother of Lamin Suso and not me. He also has a brother Muhammed Suso and not me”.
Meanwhile, the witness explained that there was a person who paid for the compounds in the village of Kulari. He added that they were supposed to pay Eighty-Six Thousand Dalasi (D86,000), but they paid Eighty-Thousand Dalasi (D80,000). The witness said the natives came to the council to pay the outstanding fee of Six Thousand Dalasis (D6,000).
“Director Susso was the one who called me and told me your people from Kulari are here. Come and attend to them,” the witness said.
The witness said he came to them and asked them to come the following day because it was almost closing time for banking.
“Director Susso said no. He asked me to collect the money because the Council needed cash at the time. I collected the money and issued the receipt. I gave Director Susso the money I received from the people of Kulari,” the explained before the commission.
Muhammed told the Commission that he did not report the matter to his superiors regarding giving money to the Finance Director.
But he informed the commission that Lamin suso the Finance Director and Malafi Badjie Finance Manager used to do revenue collection “Even in my area, they normally used to do that. I am fully aware of it,” the witness said.
The witness said further that his line manager, Malafi Badjie, used to do the collection himself, And recalled that he went with the Finance Manager Malafi Badjie on certain occasions for revenue collection.
“Sometimes when we go together, he leaves me in one village and goes to another to do collection,” Muhammed said.
He testified that he had the machine, adding that Malafi Badjiedoes not have a receipt to issue to the compound owners after receiving payments for rates from them.
“For me, if you don’t pay me, I don’t issue you a receipt,” the witness said.
“Is it correct that you extort money from people because sometimes the collectors don’t give receipts?” Chairperson Jainaba asked.
“No, the collectors issue receipts. It is Malafi who receives money from them and does not give them a receipt,” the witness said.
The witness said he has been discouraging the people not to be paying to Malafi Badjie. He added that he never issued receipts to people who paid directly to Malafi Badjie.
