By Buba Gagigo
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), expressed shock over the alleged corruption at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The National Audit Office’s report on the IEC’s financial dealings revealed that the Commission paid out allowances amounting to GMD 12,719,077.53 without following its standard payroll procedures.
It was further disclosed that GMD 301,323,850.00 was transferred to the private accounts of Returning Officers (ROs) for election-related purposes. When auditors requested bank statements from these officers for the period between 2021 and 2023, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) reported that both commission members and ROs collectively refused to cooperate.
Another alarming discovery from the audit was that the returning officers had failed to return D1,856,314, which remained in their accounts after the elections.
“We are still digesting the report, and yesterday (Friday) I had a meeting with some of my advisers, and in the next few days I will come out with a well-thought-out report. But one thing that baffles me is why a special audit report, why a special audit report? What prompted the auditor general to go on to this special auditor general report? For me, there are many great areas that need to be properly looked into, and because of that, I do not want to make any statement now that might subsequently be modified; I just want to make a statement, and whatever statement I make, I stand by it and I will be able to defend it,” the UDP Leader told The Alkamba Times.
The UDP Leader also raised serious concerns about the funds being deposited into private accounts, calling it “shocking.”
“But it is shocking, D301M, it is shocking that the IEC certainly allowed monies to be paid into private bank accounts. Where did those monies come from? Were payments made into their personal bank accounts for the returning officers?. Alieu Momar Njie, himself the returning officer for the presidential election, why? And the unlisted, if I may say, or unidentified workers who perform election duties—why has that happened? Now it is occurring to us that probably there have been secret polling stations created where these unidentified listed workers were probably posted to. I am not saying that has happened, but maybe there is a possibility,” he said.
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe serves as the Secretary General and Party Leader of the UDP.
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