Yesterday at the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, BCC audit manager Abdoulie J Corr claimed the mayor had failed to account for D400,000 in advance funds. He explained these allegations came from a 2019 internal audit report that showed this unretired imprest. When he raised concerns about this money with CEO Mustapha Batchilly, the CEO reportedly asked him to remove this information from financial records completely.
Corr testified he wouldn't follow these instructions because doing that would break the professional rules governing his position. He added that he and several coworkers who attempted to tell the mayor the truth about financial matters faced accusations from her adviser of attempting to stage a coup against her leadership. The Lead Counsel, Gomez, jumped in at this point to clarify that military takeovers cannot happen within local government structures.
Gomez explained to everyone present that the only legal method of removing a mayor or chairman from office is when councilors vote for impeachment. The witness defended his actions by saying he chose the difficult right path instead of the simpler wrong one. He stated plainly, "I chose to do what is right and not what is easy."
The Lead Counsel responded positively to this testimony, saying, "That is good, Mr Corr. Based on what we have, as you sit here, we don't have anything against you yet. You have all the right to say you have done what is right." This comment from Gomez appeared to validate the audit manager's professional conduct throughout the financial reporting situation that triggered the investigation.
Corr testified he wouldn't follow these instructions because doing that would break the professional rules governing his position. He added that he and several coworkers who attempted to tell the mayor the truth about financial matters faced accusations from her adviser of attempting to stage a coup against her leadership. The Lead Counsel, Gomez, jumped in at this point to clarify that military takeovers cannot happen within local government structures.
Gomez explained to everyone present that the only legal method of removing a mayor or chairman from office is when councilors vote for impeachment. The witness defended his actions by saying he chose the difficult right path instead of the simpler wrong one. He stated plainly, "I chose to do what is right and not what is easy."
The Lead Counsel responded positively to this testimony, saying, "That is good, Mr Corr. Based on what we have, as you sit here, we don't have anything against you yet. You have all the right to say you have done what is right." This comment from Gomez appeared to validate the audit manager's professional conduct throughout the financial reporting situation that triggered the investigation.
