The trial of the former Acting Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Mr. Alieu Momar Njie, opened yesterday before Principal Magistrate Moses Richards of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.

Mr. Njie is currently standing trial at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing the sum of D4m from the Gambia Scouts Association between 2003 and 2004.

Giving testimony at the trial, the first prosecution witness, Alh Gibril Njie, told the court that he knew the accused. He identified the accused person as a fellow Council Member of the Gambia Scouts Association. PW 1 informed the court that the allegation made by the Scout executive against the accused concerned the alleged mismanagement of funds belonging to the Gambia Scouts Association, namely deposits they received for Jamborees in Africa and Europe.

Mr. Njie further told the court that the accused was also accused of misusing the proceeds realised from hiring out the association’s vehicles and the expenses always happened to be more than the proceeds realised. He said the subvention they received from the Danish Summer Centre for the construction of the Soma Scout camp was also alleged to have been mismanaged by the accused, though he was quick to add that he did not know the total sum involved. The witness stated that the Jocab Foundation project was established in 2005 for the purpose of the training of Scout Association members, adding that when the project was launched the accused signed on behalf of the Gambia Scouts Association.

PW1 further intimated to the court that in 2004 there was an ECOWAS Jamboree during which the International Union of Muslim Scouts in Jeddah provided US$10,000.

He adduced that though a committee was set up for disbursement of the funds but the accused, Mr. Njie, was alone in making the disbursements, after which he submitted a financial statement in which they discovered expenses that were not supported by any document.

He said the accused also received a Taiwan Embassy aid of US$4,000 in 2004 on behalf of the Scout Association. He also testified that the accused successfully solicited the Jammeh Foundation for Peace for the opening of a scout shop, and received the US$20,000 subsequently provided as loan. He said that when Mr. Njie was asked to give an account, he produced a document for the repayment of the loan at D6000 per month after a grace period of six months. He said the accused later submitted an account statement for three-month payments to Jammeh Foundation totaling D18, 000. He concluded that the accused was using the deposit account of the Scout Association as his own.

Hearing continues on 4th October.