By: Fatou Krubally
A senior official at Banjul City Council (BCC) on Monday admitted before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that several procurement processes under his watch were irregular, including the controversial purchase of dustbins at inflated prices.
Katim Touray, Director of Planning and Development at BCC, appeared before the Commission where he faced intense questioning from Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez. Under cross-examination, Touray conceded that proper procurement procedures were not followed in several projects, particularly the renovation of market toilets and the purchase of 3,000 dustbins.
Asked whether he maintained proper records of costing for the toilet renovations, Touray admitted he did not systematically keep files, instead relying on handwritten notes that were often discarded after budget submissions. “I didn’t keep all. Some of them, I just did on paper and finished with it,” he said, acknowledging that this was not the correct procedure.
On procurement, Touray revealed that contractors were often recommended without formal tender processes. He confirmed that Ganjam Company, for example, had already begun work on the toilets before any formal contract was prepared, under the directive of the Mayor.
Further revelations included admissions that BCC purchased dustbins for up to 4,000 each, a price Touray acknowledged was excessive. He confessed no market survey was conducted prior to the purchase, stating: “I was not looking at the cost at that time, I was only focused on solving the sanitation crisis.”
Lead Counsel Gomez criticized the council’s procurement activities as “totally illegal and unlawful,” emphasizing that public funds had been grossly mismanaged under the guise of urgency.
Touray also admitted that the BCC failed to respect the role of procurement officers and that the council’s internal contract committee was largely dysfunctional, with critical decisions made outside of formal meetings.
The testimony adds to growing evidence of procurement irregularities at BCC.
