Sainabou Martin-Sonko, the former CEO of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), has alleged that the council disregarded its own embargo on loans and medical support, granting significant financial benefits to councillors.

Testifying before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Martin-Sonko, who served as CEO for 18 months, disclosed that prior to her appointment, the council had passed a resolution banning loans and medical assistance.

However, she claimed that this resolution was flouted, allowing councillors to receive substantial salary advances and loans.

“They were given up to D80,000, and one councillor received over D100,000 as salary advances. I found that councillors were being deducted monthly to repay these advances,” she stated.

Martin-Sonko clarified that councillors, as non-staff members, were not entitled to salary advances since they received allowances rather than salaries.

Despite this, she admitted that during her tenure, she continued providing loans and medical support for council staff.

“Whatever I did was approved by the Mayor,” she asserted, adding that the practice of granting loans and advances to councillors was already entrenched when she took office.

By Adama Makasuba