By: Fatou Krubally
The former Chief Executive Officer of the Banjul City Council, Mustapha Batchilly, has admitted to widespread financial mismanagement during his tenure, including the unchecked disbursement of millions in imprest funds without maintaining any official ledger.
Testifying before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Mr Batchilly confirmed that despite his statutory obligation to oversee council finances, no imprest ledger was maintained under his watch. The imprest system, a petty cash mechanism intended for urgent and accountable public expenses, was abused, with little to no oversight, he admitted.
“All imprests must be authorised by the CEO and recorded in a ledger,” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez reminded him. “Were these done?”
“I would say no,” Mr Nyang replied.
Mr Batchilly, who served as CEO from around 2020 until February 2024, conceded that he continuously approved impress for council staff and even mayors, without ensuring that they were retired or recorded. “There were no ceilings, no conditions,” he said. “I just approved them.”
He blamed part of the problem on the “calibre of finance staff” at the council, suggesting that he expected lower-level officers to carry out the necessary documentation and checks. But Lead Counsel Gomez pushed back, stating, “You were giving out public money like it was your own. There were no checks and balances.”
At one point, the Commission referenced the council’s financial manual, which clearly outlines that the CEO must prescribe the terms and conditions for imprest approvals and ensure ledgers are maintained. Mr Batchilly acknowledged that the procedures were not followed. “I agree. I did not waste any time on that,” he said.
The Commission also questioned the legitimacy of a 2018 task force that reviewed council operations, which Mr Batchilly said was formed by the Lord Mayor and “blessed by the ministry.” However, he could not produce correspondence proving ministerial approval.
Lead Counsel Gomez summed up the situation: “The abuse of imprests started with you. When the CEO doesn’t follow the law, everyone else follows suit.”
Mr Batchilly’s testimony adds to mounting evidence of serious administrative lapses at Banjul City Council, which the Commission is investigating as part of its broader mandate to restore integrity and accountability in local governance.