By: Fatou Krubally
Former Deputy Mayor of Banjul City Council (BCC), Omar B.J Touray, has told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that Max Jallow, a former campaign manager for Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, was hired by the council without any consideration of his qualifications.
Touray, who served as deputy mayor from 2018 to 2023 and chaired the BCC’s Establishment Committee, revealed that Max was appointed purely on political grounds.
“To be honest, it was purely based on the fact that he was the head or campaign manager of the mayor,” Touray said.
He admitted that the Establishment Committee, which he chaired, approved Max’s appointment as council adviser without reviewing his qualifications. “We were always advised by the CEO on how to go ahead,” Touray added.
Touray also revealed that several staff appointments during his tenure may have been made beyond the committee’s jurisdiction. He acknowledged that Binta, the mayor’s personal secretary, was hired on grade 7.1 above the committee’s authority, which only covered appointments from grades 1 to 5.
When questioned about audit reports citing suspected fraudulent activities among staff, Touray said such matters were not brought before his committee, and agendas were usually dictated by the CEO. He denied handling cases of staff mismanaging public funds.
Touray also discussed his use of a V8 vehicle previously used by former mayor Abdoulie Bah. He said he returned the vehicle due to persistent mechanical issues and high fuel consumption. Although it was later auctioned, he denied having any involvement or knowledge of the process.
The Commission has ordered BCC to produce the council’s establishment file from 2018 to 2023 for further scrutiny.
