By Omar Bah
Lamin Suso, former acting director of finance of Basse Area Council, has admitted to siphoning the council’s millions of dalasis. Mr. Suso has been adversely accused of having jointly withdrawn 51 million dalasis from BASC covers in the ongoing inquiry into the local government commission. Appearing before the Commission on his fifth day, he told the Commission to disregard and discard all the vouchers he brought because they were all defective. He also admitted some financial malpractices while working at the Basse Area Council. The auditors noted a withdrawal of Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dalasi (D220,000) from three (3) ward development accounts.
Lamin Suso explained the three withdrawals from the three ward accounts
He said CEO Ousman Touray and Councilor Omar Garry withdrew D75,000 from the Baja Kunda Ward Development Account, CEO Ousman Touray, and Former Vice Chairman Youba Jawara withdrew D100,000 from the Sabi Development Ward Account, and CEO Ousman Touray and Ward Councilor Ousainou Janneh withdrew from the Gambisara Development Ward Account an amount of D45,000).
Lamin Suso said he participated in the withdrawal but was not a signatory.
Meanwhile, Ndabah Krubally, a cashier of Basse Area Council, has admitted to participating in embezzling funds. He allegedly withdrew over 35 million Dalasi from the Basse Area Council accounts. He admitted that he made such withdrawals based on instructions from his two superiors – Chief Executive Officer Ousman Touray and Finance Director Lamin Suso. He said he was encouraged by the former Chairman of Basse Area Council, Foday Danjo, to apply for a council job in September 2018.
He was first appointed as a revenue collector, and within a year and some months, Ndabah was promoted to serve as the sole Cashier of the Council in 2020. The Commission noted that Ndabah Krubally had withdrawn over D35,000,000 between January 2020 and October 2022. He testified that he was not only doing the work of a cashier but also multitasking, adding that he was performing the roles of accounts clerk and making massive withdrawals from the council’s various accounts
