The former Chairman of Brikama Area Council (BAC), Sheriffo Sonko, has admitted to significant financial mismanagement during his tenure, acknowledging that over D33 million in mining royalties were not used for their intended community development purposes.
Appearing before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday, 29 July 2025, Sonko offered a startling confession as part of a broader investigation into financial misconduct within local government bodies across The Gambia between May 2018 and January 2023.
The Commission heard that between May 2020 and June 2023, the Brikama Area Council received a total of D33,713,176.01 from the Department of Geology.
The payments, derived from royalties generated by mining activities in the West Coast Region, were specifically allocated to support development initiatives in communities affected by those operations.
However, under questioning, Sonko admitted that the vast majority of these funds were not channelled towards their intended purpose.
“Most of the money was not used for its intended purpose,” he told the Commission, offering no clear justification for the diversion of such a substantial public resource.
The inquiry is part of a sweeping effort to hold local authorities accountable for misuse of public funds and to restore confidence in grassroots governance structures. Sonko’s admission adds to mounting concerns over weak oversight, lack of transparency, and poor fiscal discipline at the council level.
The Local Government Commission is expected to issue recommendations based on its findings in the coming months. Meanwhile, the fate of the missing millions — and the affected communities still waiting for the promised development — remains uncertain.
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