Commission finds financial irregularities at Banjul council

Gambia’s Local Government Commission of Inquiry identified shortcomings in spending controls and land management at Banjul City Council during Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe’s term, reports Gambiana. It said payments made by the mayor’s office lacked sufficient supporting documents, including beneficiary lists, invoices or documents closing out advances.

The expenditure concerned media services, catering, printing, equipment hire and event-related services. The commission considers that the use of cash advances and informal purchases, without complying with public procurement and financial management procedures, breached the applicable rules. It also found that the council had no formal spending thresholds, despite concerns Lowe had raised with the director general.

Regarding land, the inquiry said the council considered allocating land to Charbel El Hajj based on unverified claims about his links to Hisense, presented as a foreign company that could create jobs in Banjul. Neither the mayor, nor the director general, nor the council verified the existence or commitment of this alleged investor. Lowe acknowledged that the municipality had no document establishing the investor’s existence, a partnership or a feasibility study. The commission questioned the mayor’s supervisory responsibilities, without establishing that she had personally gained financially from the transactions.

These findings form part of a series of inquiries into the management of Gambian local councils. In September, Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe had voiced her support for presidential candidate Ousainu Darboe (her support for Ousainu Darboe).