A former head of The Gambia's malaria programme has denied any role in hiring consultants at the centre of a sprawling corruption trial, instead shifting blame to a now-deceased colleague he described as the project's "focal person".
Bala Kandeh, the first accused, is standing trial alongside two others on multiple counts, including economic crimes, theft, forgery and official corruption before the High Court in Banjul.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Kandeh told Justice Ebrima Jaiteh that he had no involvement in the appointment of consultants under projects funded by the Global Fund. Instead, he pointed to the late Lamin Jarju, whom he said handled the operational side of the programme.
"I came to know about the consultant's issue when the auditors asked questions," Kandeh said. "As programme manager, it was not my role to appoint consultants."
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Kandeh insisted that Jarju, who served as the focal point for Global Fund activities, was directly responsible for implementation, including a nationwide bed net programme aimed at reducing malaria.
He told the court that Jarju had assured him all documentation tied to payments had been properly handled and had even disclosed giving money to a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health.
Kandeh also cast doubt on the circumstances under which his own statement was taken, saying he was in pain and unable to fully understand what was read back to him.
"When my statement was read to me, I could not understand clearly because I was sick and in pain," he said, adding that no independent witness was present during the process.
Pressed on procurement issues, Kandeh denied breaching any rules. He said a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018 by Dr Cherno Barry on behalf of the Ministry of Health was purely technical and carried no financial implications.
"I did not disobey any procurement regulations," he told the court.
Kandeh, who previously managed the Malaria Control Programme for years, portrayed his role as largely administrative, distancing himself from financial decisions.
"I have never engaged in monetary transactions. There are staff responsible for financial affairs," he said.
He defended the programme's record, arguing that Global Fund-backed interventions had delivered tangible results.
"Our objective was to get effective bed nets," he said. "We reduced malaria deaths by 20%, reduced child deaths significantly, and school absenteeism also went down."
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Kandeh said he did not "micromanage" and had no direct control over Jarju's actions.
"I am focused on administrative duties. Lamin Jarju was the focal point person," he said.
The case, led by the director of public prosecutions, A.M. Yusuf, forms part of a wider crackdown on alleged misuse of public and donor funds in the health sector.
Kandeh and his co-accused persons Muhammadou Lamin Jaiteh and Omar Malleh Jassey are facing a combined 18 counts, including multiple charges of forgery and theft.
The trial was adjourned to 5 May 2026, when prosecutors are expected to begin cross-examination.
