The deputy director of Services at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Lamin F. Badjie, has come under intense scrutiny after failing to provide satisfactory documentation to account for sums of money he allegedly took from revenue collectors at the Bakoteh dumpsite.

During his appearance before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Badjie presented several documents requested by the Commission, but notably did not provide records to account for the daily revenue collections he received.

Badjie, who was expected to produce evidence supporting claims that he had deposited the funds with the KMC cashier, was unable to substantiate his assertions.

Although he confirmed that dumpsite collectors handed their daily collections directly to him, Badjie was unable to provide receipts or documentation showing the amounts he received and deposited, despite having previously promised to do so.

The inquiry also heard from Kemo Fatty, former manager of the ‘Mbalit’ Project, who raised concerns over discrepancies between the amounts collected by Badjie and his colleagues from the Bakoteh dumpsite and the actual deposits made to KMC cashiers. Fatty emphasized a significant variance in the financial records, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the funds collected.

In another development, Badjie was questioned about payments made to Nkoland, a company run by Baboucar Kinteh, which had been contracted by KMC for waste management services.

When asked about two conflicting vouchers—one dated 1 November 2018 and another from October of the same year—Badjie struggled to provide clarity.

The first voucher showed a contract extension, while the second indicated that the contract should have lasted only 19 days due to the arrival of new KMC trucks.

Lead Counsel Gomez pressed Badjie to reconcile the two documents, but the deputy director of Services had no answer, deferring the matter to his superior, the Director of Services.

Further vouchers, including one from December 2019 showing payment to Lang Karamo Suwareh for hiring equipment, were also submitted as evidence.

He repeatedly claimed that the inconsistencies and issues raised during the inquiry were merely oversights, but this did little to reassure the Commission.

Additional documents revealed a pattern of payments made for clearing illegal dumpsites and hiring trucks and machinery.

He explained that despite KMC owning its own fleet of trucks, the Council had continued to hire additional vehicles for waste management tasks up until 2022.

The Commission also examined vouchers related to the clearing of drainage systems between Churchill’s Town and Tallinding, awarded to contractor Falang Sonko.

Badjie mentioned that the purchase of a shovel loader, which was frequently included in the KMC’s budget, was often not approved by the Council, raising further questions about financial mismanagement and procurement procedures.

The Commission’s investigation into KMC’s financial dealings is ongoing, and Badjie’s inability to fully account for the funds in question continues to cast a shadow over his tenure in the Deputy Director role.

The inquiry is expected to continue probing these discrepancies as part of its broader investigation into local government financial practices.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba