By Fatou Dahaba
Former Kerewan Area Council (KAC) Chairman Malamin I.L. Bojang is facing a forensic audit and possible financial surcharge after the Government accepted key recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into financial and administrative irregularities at the Council.
In its official position on the Commission’s findings, the Government stated that it had accepted the recommendation for surcharge against Mr. Bojang and referred the matter to the Auditor General. The audit is intended to determine whether a direct causal link can be established between Mr. Bojang’s acts or omissions and any identifiable financial loss suffered by the Council.
“The Government accepts the recommendation of the Commission for surcharge against Mr. Bojang,” the position paper read. “Accordingly, it refers the matter to the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit, where a direct causal link to identifiable financial loss can be established, appropriate recovery action should be taken against Mr. Bojang.”
Mr. Bojang, who served as Chairman of the Kerewan Area Council from 2018 to 2023, appeared before the Commission in his capacity as former chairperson and policy head. During his testimony, he admitted to endorsing resolutions without ensuring the necessary ministerial approval and acknowledged that he failed to scrutinize financial reports and procurement processes adequately.
The Commission found that under his leadership, the Council was characterized by weak oversight, repeated adverse and qualified audit opinions, unsupported payments, procurement irregularities, and failures in revenue administration and internal controls. Despite repeated audit findings and procurement compliance concerns being tabled before the Council, no decisive disciplinary or corrective action was taken against key officers, including the Chief Executive Officer, Director of Finance, revenue collectors, and procurement staff.
According to the Commission, the Council operated for extended periods without an effective Internal Auditor, including a six-month period when the Internal Auditor was sent for training without a replacement. “During this period payments continued unchecked, exposing Council funds to misuse,” the findings stated.
While accepting the recommendation for legislative review, the Government noted that “the existing legal and regulatory framework governing local government administration, public finance management, auditing, and public procurement contains sufficient provisions to promote accountability and financial discipline.”
In addition to the forensic audit, the Government accepted recommendations to investigate possible economic crime, improper behavior, and negligence, and a review Mr. Bojang’s fitness to hold public office. On the issue of misconduct, the Government stated: “While the evidence may not support corruption, it does support the finding of Mr. Bojang’s improper conduct in office and negligence.”
The forensic audit’s outcome is expected to determine whether Mr. Bojang will be held financially liable for losses linked to the irregularities uncovered at the Kerewan Area Council.
