Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Former Auditor General Modou Ceesay has filed a detailed reply before the Supreme Court in his case challenging the legality of his removal from office. The suit, brought under the court’s original jurisdiction, names the Attorney General, the Inspector general of police, and the Republic of The Gambia as defendants.
In his latest filing, Ceesay rejects key arguments advanced in the defendants’ Statement of Case, insisting that his removal was orchestrated on the direct instructions of the President and executed by officers of the Gambia Police Force. He firmly denies claims that he either accepted a ministerial appointment or voluntarily resigned from his post.
According to Ceesay, he was summoned to the Office of the President on 10 September 2025, where he was handed a sealed envelope that later turned out to contain a letter appointing him as Minister of Trade.
His reply states that he informed the President that same day that he was declining the offer and subsequently submitted a formal written rejection on 11 September 2025, copied to the Secretary General.
Ceesay also disputes suggestions by the defendants relating to audit delays. He maintains that several audits, including those on state land allocations and government institutions, were actively ongoing and that he had consistently underscored the constitutional independence of the Auditor General’s office.
The reply details a series of engagements that followed his refusal of the ministerial post. Ceesay alleges that senior government officials, including the Minister of Finance and a National Assembly member, attempted to persuade him to reconsider. He maintains that he declined all such appeals.
Despite continuing to report to work, Ceesay says he was forcibly removed from his office on 18 September 2025 by police officers who provided no formal explanation.
He recounts being escorted out of the National Audit Office in the presence of staff and media while still considering himself the legitimate Auditor General.
He further denies ever convening a press conference or removing official documents from the premises.
The Supreme Court will now be tasked with determining whether the President’s actions and the manner of Ceesay’s removal were consistent with the Constitution and the National Audit Office Act of 2015.
