The financial controller for the Community Driven Development Project for CRR North, Mr. Lamin Njie, has said that the CDDP aims to assist local communities in planning and implementing social and economic activity to improve their living standards.

This work is carried out in conjunction with local government authorities.

Mr. Njie made these remarks in an interview with The Point at his office in Kuntaur Wharf Town Niani district recently.

According to him, the CDDP project began with a lot of study and has a project implementation manual, a financial and administration manual and field guides for use by extension workers at community level.

He further stated that the financial and administrative manual shows how funds are to be used both at the LGA and village level. He added that the project has three components a community development facility, capacity building and implementation arrangements. Each of these components has an allocated fund to run their affairs.

In relation to fund flow arrangements, Mr. Njie said local government authorities will be responsible for disbursing the formula based grant for development activities at village and ward levels. The financial controller at the area level is particularly in charge of dispersing funds to villages and wards in accordance with the requirements. This happens after endorsement by the SDP and the PEC when each village or ward will enter into a triplicate agreement with the CDDP and the local government authorities. On the basis of the triplicate agreement, signed by the different villages or wards, the financial controller will prepare a replenishment request and send it to the PCT. Once a project has been positively appraised the VDC/WDC chairman and the RRI team leader enter into a financial agreement with the community development officer on behalf of the CDDP. He stated that upon the signature of that agreement the financial controller is requested by the CDO to release the first tranche of funds into the control of the Village Development Committee. The VDC’s and WDC’s will then request subsequent replenishment of their funds in their respective areas based on physical progress which will be certified by the relevant CDO based on project reports received.

Ex- Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang, former Government Vehicles Controller at the State House, on Wednesday testified in defence against the allegations preferred against him by the state.

In his testimony, Manlafi Sanyang told the court that he was a police Superintendent attached to State House as Government Vehicles Controller and that he has been in the service for 26 years.

He then went on to state his duties and functions as a Government Vehicles Controller. “As Government Vehicles Controller I control the movement of vehicles, maintenance and the auction,” he stated, adding that the Department of State for Finance is responsible for the auction of government vehicles. He said that government vehicles are distinguished by the abbreviated letters GG before the numbers on the number plates while security vehicles carry private number plates. “I know the vehicle BJL 4591B, but I did not know the vehicle BJL4591A,” he adduced. He added that BJL 4591B belongs to Youth Development Enterprise, noting that he got to know about the existence of the said vehicle in September 2001 when the country was preparing for the presidential and parliamentary elections. “I remember when Baba Jobe brought to my office 41 pick-up vehicles for APRC to use as compaign vehicles,” he said, adding: “ I collected the vehicles at TK Motors which were already registered under the name of the Youth Development Enterprise. I took the vehicles to a testing exercise to boost the morale of the APRC and the state of preparedness for the 2001 campaign.” He said that during the testing exercise the vehicle BJL 4591B got involved in an accident and it was parked at the Gamwater premises, adding that he informed Baba Jobe and, upon his (the accused’s) recommendation, the vehicle was replaced with another.

Further testifying, Mr Sanyang told the court that one day Abdoulie Kujabi, then the NIA Director-General, called him and told him that a friend of his by the name Alhagie Conteh was interested in the said vehicle and that he should discuss the price with him. He informed the court that he went with the said Alhagie Conteh to inspect the vehicle and Alhagie offered to pay D75,000.00, an offer he communicated to Abdoulie Kujabi. He said that Mr Kujabi accepted the offer. He adduced that on Mr. Conteh’s payment of the money, he delivered it to Abdoulie Kujabi, who instructed him that the money would be used towards the repair of the Nissan Partrol that was allocated to the president family. He (the accused) claimed that he advised that the president be notified of the decision.

He recounted that on a visit to State House one day, Abdoulie Kujabi assured him that he would clear the issue with the president and later notified him that he had done so and that he should hand over the vehicle to the buyer, Alhagie Conteh. He maintained that the vehicle in question belongs to the Youth Development Enterprise, which he noted was not a state department. He also emphatically denied stealing neither the vehicle with registration no. BJL 4591A nor the sum of D75,000.00 because he knew nothing about that vehicle.

Hearing continues today.

The Financial Controller of Senegambia Beach Hotel was yesterday found dead in his room, this paper can confirm.

The naked body of 61-year-old Peter Sumption, a British national, was reportedly found dead in his room at the Senegambia Hotel.

Our sources however added that the late Mr Sumption reportedly complained of fever the day before his untimely death.

Meanwhile, the body has been taken to the mortuary at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul for pre-burial processes.