Babucarr Fofana, the former regional coordinator of National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) for the Kuntaur administrative area, appeared before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday to provide answers over the expenditure of D100,000 he received from the Kuntaur Area Council.
The money, designated as part of a Covid-19 relief fund, was instead classified by Fofana as a general disaster relief allocation. “I did not see it as a COVID-19 relief fund. I saw it as a disaster relief fund,” he testified.
Fofana argued that while COVID-19 relief fund was intended strictly for pandemic-related support, disaster relief encompasses broader emergencies. He mentioned three major disasters in the Kuntaur region in 2019, including floods and windstorms, which he said coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fofana acknowledged accepting the cheque from the KAC but maintained that management of the money fell under the purview of the regional disaster management committee.
He described the committee as a legally established body chaired by the regional governor and composed of representatives from agriculture, education, and health sectors. He said his primary responsibility was to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
Fofana testified that the total amount received was D200,000 (D100,000 from KAC and D100,000 from the Janjanbureh Area Council).
He told commissioners that at the time he left his position, D186,000 remained in the committee’s account at Trust Bank, which had three signatories – the governor, the regional disaster management coordinator and the CEO of the region.
He attested that the only expenditure from the fund went towards relief efforts for a windstorm incident in Sami Pachonki that resulted in the death of a woman.
On audit, he said the funds had not been audited. He later submitted the disaster management committee’s account statement to the commission, which was admitted into evidence.
