Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) has expressed “deep concern” over what it describes as the unconstitutional and forceful removal of Auditor General Modou Ceesay from office, calling on the Executive to immediately reinstate him.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the GBA recounted the sequence of events leading to Mr. Ceesay’s ouster. On 10 September 2025, the government announced his appointment as Minister of Trade, Industry, and Employment. A day later, a second release stated that Mr. Ceesay had declined the appointment.
Subsequently, the government named Mr. Amadou Cherno Sowe as the new Auditor General. On 15 September, police officers reportedly removed Mr. Ceesay by force from the premises of the National Audit Office (NAO).
The GBA noted that in the absence of a resignation letter or lawful termination, the Auditor General’s position “could not have been vacant,” and therefore the steps taken to replace Mr. Ceesay were not in line with the 1997 Constitution and the National Audit Office Act of 2015.
Describing the appointment of another person to the office as “ill-advised,” the association said the actions of security forces who “physically extracted Mr. Ceesay” were “deeply troubling” and undermined the constitutional safeguards designed to protect the independence of the Auditor General.
Quoting Section 160(7) of the Constitution, the GBA emphasized that the Auditor General “shall not be subject to the direction and control of any other person” in the discharge of his or her duties.
While the President has the authority to appoint an Auditor General, the association reminded that the power to remove one is “strictly circumscribed by law” and must follow specific grounds and procedures under Section 158(5) of the Constitution and Sections 16(4)-(7) of the NAO Act.
“The manner of Mr. Ceesay’s removal from office and the uncompromising insistence on replacing him is viewed as the form of interference that the Constitution and statute seek to expressly prevent,” the GBA said, warning that such actions risk eroding public confidence in the NAO’s ability to act independently.
The association urged the Executive to comply with the law and allow Mr. Ceesay to resume his duties “without delay, let, or hindrance.” It also called for the matter to be treated with “the extreme urgency it deserves” to avoid damaging The Gambia’s reputation in combating corruption and promoting good governance.
The statement was signed by the President of the Gambia Bar Association on 16 September 2025.
