By: Fatou Krubally
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry heard fresh revelations on Tuesday as Momodou Camara, Finance Manager at Banjul City Council (BCC), laid bare a staggering list of over 50 financial management failures which he inherited and has been struggling to fix.
Testifying alongside Mustapha Batchilly, Mr. Camara told the Commission that the BCC’s financial books were riddled with issues ranging from missing payment vouchers and unretired advances to unposted transactions, non-compliance with contracts, and unverified payments.
Reading from a detailed memo admitted into evidence, Camara highlighted how poor accounting practices, outdated systems, and internal resistance have undermined the Council’s ability to produce credible financial statements.
He stressed that while he came in with high hopes to clean up the books, his work has been hampered by constant interference, lack of staff capacity, and what he described as “mind games” within management.
“The production of financial statements is legally the job of the Finance Director, not management committees,” he told the Commission, pointing to sections of the Local Government Act and Finance Manual which, he argued, have been routinely ignored.
Among the 52 issues cited were payments made without supporting documents, auction sales not deposited in bank accounts, missing payroll records, unmaintained cash books, and non-compliance with disposal procedures.
In his testimony, Camara also pointed fingers at his predecessors, saying some of the problems dated back years before his appointment. He noted that until 2021, the Council kept regular bank reconciliations, but by 2022, things deteriorated when inaccurate figures slipped into the estimates.
Supporting his testimony, Batchilly backed Camara’s account, adding that the Council’s financial health cannot improve without fixing the weak systems and clarifying the roles of finance staff.
Minutes from management meetings, internal memos, and audit responses were all admitted as evidence, showing repeated warnings about the same problems, but with little or no follow-up action.
As the Commission pressed for answers, it became clear that a culture of poor supervision, lack of staff training, and internal power struggles continues to fuel the Council’s woes.
The Commission is expected to use the testimonies to determine whether any legal breaches occurred and recommend measures to end the chronic lapses that have cost the Council millions of Dalasis.
The inquiry into BCC’s finances continues.
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