By: Alieu Ceesay
Sainabou Martin-Sonko, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), who served for about 18 months, testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, revealing significant details about her tenure.
Martin-Sonko disclosed that before her appointment, the council had passed a resolution imposing an embargo on loans and medical support. However, she noted that the council gave substantial salary advances and loans to councilors despite the resolution.
“They were given up to D80,000, and a councilor was given over D100,000 as salary advances. I found that the councilors were deducted monthly for those salary advances,” she said.
She pointed out that councilors, as non-staff members, were not entitled to salary advances since they only received allowances. Nonetheless, she continued the practice of providing loans and medical support for staff during her tenure.
“Whatever I do was approved by the Mayor,” she said, adding, “They were giving loans and salary advances before I came, and I found that they were deducting the councilors.”
Interactions with Mayor Bensouda and Jaja Cham
Martin-Sonko also touched on her relationship with Mayor Talib Bensouda and former acting CEO Jaja Cham during her early days in office. She revealed that she attended her interview on the same day as Cham, although she was unaware at the time that he was an employee of the KMC.
According to her, Jaja Cham warned her to be cautious of the Mayor during the handover. She recounted Cham’s words: “The Mayor would make you do things that he wants without following due process and then dump you.” She added that Cham was angry with the Mayor, claiming that he had been used and discarded.
Conversely, she testified that the Mayor had told her Cham was desperate to become CEO and had even named his child after him. However, the Mayor clarified that he could not assist Cham in becoming CEO.
Procurement and Contract Issues
When questioned about how KMC handled contracts and procurement, Martin-Sonko revealed that she sought written endorsements from Mayor Bensouda before acting on any contract.
“I used to ensure that I get approval from the Mayor for all requests made by the councilors before approving the payments,” she said.
As Chairperson of the Contracts Committee, Martin-Sonko admitted that the council did not always follow procurement laws.
“In certain cases, we follow the requirements,” she stated. “How about in other cases?” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez inquired.
She admitted, “The KMC does not always abide by the procurement laws.” She cited instances where she bypassed the procurement unit and dealt directly with top officials like the Director of Services, Lamin Sanyang.
“For contracts for cleaning and other services, the procurement rules were not followed. That was wrong. I found that there,” she said. “And you maintained it,” Lead Counsel Gomez responded. “Yes, but I was trying to see how to go around it and stop it,” she replied.
Lead Counsel Gomez reminded her of her responsibility as the Chief Accounting Officer, citing the Local Government Act and the Financial Manual. She agreed but claimed she relied heavily on advice from Lamin Sanyang due to her lack of familiarity with council operations.
Payment and Dumpsite Irregularities
Martin-Sonko was shown payment vouchers made to Lang Karamo Suwareh for clearing illegal dumpsites. She explained that the payments came through the Director of Services, adding, “This is what I found there. It was difficult for me. I used to ask many questions regarding the payments, and upon certain clarifications, I used to approve it.”
She admitted she only visited one dumpsite near the stadium in 2020 and acknowledged that the contract procurement rules were not followed.
Lead Counsel Gomez highlighted evidence suggesting that the claims of urgency for clearing dumpsites were merely formalities, with recurrent dumping at the sites. Martin-Sonko admitted she later began doubting the urgency of the payments.
“I also have my doubts here and there, and I was trying to come around it,” she testified.
Her revelations have added to the growing scrutiny of KMC operations, raising questions about compliance with financial and procurement laws.
