Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe of the Banjul City Council (BCC) has admitted to procedural irregularities in the disbursement of public funds during her testimony before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
The Mayor acknowledged that payments made through the Council’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Fatou Mbenga, did not comply with established financial and procurement procedures. These included funds intended for flood and fire victims, media coverage expenses, and cultural events.
“All those payments made by Fatou Mbenga were carried out under my directive,” Mayor Lowe admitted, stating that the urgency of certain situations prompted them to bypass normal channels.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez emphasized that public funds regardless of the amount must be handled in accordance with the law, underscoring that accountability was at the core of the inquiry.
Documents presented during the hearing included payment vouchers for D400,000 and D100,000 allocated to disaster relief, as well as D30,000 for media coverage. In each case, the funds were processed through Mbenga, which the Counsel argued made accountability difficult and legally problematic.
Mayor Lowe defended the actions as well intentioned but ultimately conceded that the processes were flawed. “If today was yesterday, we would not have done it this way,” she told the Commission. She further stated that while she made requests, the implementation of those funds should have been overseen by the Chief Executive Officer.
The Mayor also expressed frustration with the limitations of her office under the current governance framework, stating that her authority is often undermined or bypassed.
