Majidi Touray was a nominated council of the Kanifing Municipal Council. On how he was nominated, the witness said he was informed by Mayor Talib Bensouda to produce his curriculum vitae (CV) and then after doing that, he was appointed a nominated councillor representing the business community. He testified that he did not pass through any interview. He said he was a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP).
The offer of appointment signed by Talib Ahmed Bensouda dated 27 June 2018 addressed to the witness was tendered and admitted in evidence. An undated acceptance letter was also tendered and admitted in evidence.
The witness was the chairman of the market committee until his removal in 2019. The witness said the challenges that the vendors had was spacing, while the council also struggles to get the payments of the rents from them.
“The business community was not served as it supposed to be,” he said.
The witness was also a member of the Environment Committee.
“As a member of the business committee, I did not do much,” he said.
He testified that in 2019 he was removed as the chairperson of the market committee based on political reasons.
“It was political. Around 2019, there was a political divide between the President and the opposition UDP. I was a UDP member and I switched to the Barrow Youth Movement. That was basically the reason,” he said.
“What has politics to do with your work?” Counsel Sukary Camara asked.
The witness said that was what happened. He added that he was not only removed in the committee as the chairperson, but removed as a member of the committee. He explained that his removal was brought about through a vote of no confidence. He said he remained as the councilor representing the business community and a member of the environment committee.
The witness admitted that he received D10,000 for a market exercise.
“Firstly, I did not know what that D10,000 was for,” the witness said.
He added: “There was no nothing like market exercise.”
He testified that the exercise might have taken place before he was sworn in. He said the exercise was from 2 July to 27 July 2018. He added that he was sworn in on 31 July 2018.
“I did not participate in any market exercise before I was sworn in,” he said.
He testified that the money was given to him after he was sworn in. He admitted that he did not participate in the market exercise, but he was paid the D10,000.
