Gambian auditor general dragged from office after clash with President Barrow over reshuffle

The political standoff between Gambia’s President Adama Barrow and Auditor General Momodou Ceesay erupted dramatically on Monday when police stormed the National Audit Office and forcibly removed Ceesay from his workplace.

Ceesay, who had served nearly three years in the position, had rejected Barrow’s decision to reassign him to the Ministry of Trade. The president insists Ceesay initially accepted the transfer before later reversing his decision. Ceesay, however, maintained that he had never agreed.

The dispute has divided public opinion, with critics accusing Barrow of seeking to replace Ceesay with a more pliant auditor who would overlook allegations of corruption. 

The government has announced that Cherno Amadou Sowe, formerly Director of Internal Audit, has been promoted to auditor general. Yet, amid widespread public anger, Sowe has not assumed the role.

Events escalated when plainclothes officers entered Ceesay’s office to eject him and install his successor. Staff members resisted, blocking the initial attempt, with the confrontation broadcast live by Gambian media outlets on social platforms.

It took reinforcements to force Ceesay out he was interrupted mid-press conference, escorted from the compound, and taken to his lawyer’s office.

The move sparked immediate outrage, especially among young Gambians. Many took to social media to accuse the president of authoritarian tactics.

“He refused your appointment. Now you forcibly remove him out of the office? Are the Gambian people not watching?” activist Kemo Fatty fumed in a video widely circulated online. Fatty warned, “If the auditor general does not return to office today, President Barrow will leave the State House today.”

Both Fatty and fellow campaigner Alieu Bah were arrested later that day as they attempted to address reporters at the National Audit Office.

This latest crisis adds to months of turbulence for Barrow’s administration. Demonstrations have been frequent since investigative newspaper The Republic reported that assets once owned by former President Yahya Jammeh had been redistributed among members of Barrow’s circle. 

The president has repeatedly denied benefiting from the arrangement.

In a statement responding to Monday’s events, the presidency insisted the government was “firmly committed to the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of public finances.” 

It stressed that the decision to nominate Ceesay as trade minister was “based solely on his qualifications and experience” and not intended “to interfere with the operations of the National Audit Office.”