President Barrow Told Me Audit Would Affect His Presidential Bid, Testifies Modou Ceesay
Former Auditor General, Modou Ceesay, today provided explosive testimony before a five-member Supreme Court panel led by the Chief Justice, claiming President Barrow personally intervened to halt audits, linking the move to his re-election campaign.
In his testimony, former Auditor General (AG), Modou Ceesay, alleges his sudden removal from office was directly linked to high-stakes audits his department was conducting, including those involving the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC), the Ministry of Lands, the Central Bank, and the Government Consolidated Fund.
Ceesay, who holds a BSc in economics, is an ACCA Professional Certified Accountant, has an MSc in Public Management and International Cooperation, and is a Certified Information System Auditor, took the stand in the case challenging the legality of his dismissal.
The former AG testified a series of meetings with the President, often with the Chief of Staff present, where concerns over the timing and sensitivity of the audits were raised.
On the NFSPMC audit, Modou Ceesay confirmed he was summoned after initiating a special audit of NFSPMC. He stated the President and Chief of Staff requested the audit be delayed until 2026.
“They raised concern over the time of the audit and that the audit is sensitive because it concerns farmers… They requested if the audit could be delayed until 2026,” Ceesay told the Supreme Court, adding the rationale given was that the result “may come before the election.”
On the Ministry of Lands audit. The former AG stated that a compliance audit on the Ministry of Lands was initiated focusing on its adherence to laws regarding land allocation. After sending a request for outstanding information, the Chief of Staff summoned him.
Modou Ceesay stated he was again advised to delay the report due to the high number of land cases currently in court. Modou Ceesay maintained he “hinted that many letters were exchanged and it is better to always implement the recommendations as many whistleblowers can get the information. He later noted that after his removal, the report was eventually submitted to the National Assembly.
On the Central Bank and Consolidated Fund Scrutiny. Modou Ceesay told the Supreme Court about issues surrounding the audit of the Central Bank, which had been outsourced to a private firm, PKF.
Modou Ceesay confirmed delays in the audit, citing that officials were “fearful about the timing.” He noted the audit concerned the accuracy of findings, Central Bank dividends and investment, and loans taken by the NFSPMC. He further stated his office demanded receipts from the Central Bank.
Modou Ceesay said an ongoing audit of the Government Consolidated Fund for 2023 and 2024. Modou Ceesay stated that his team sought extracts of the database from the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) from systems like ‘Gamtax net’ and the ‘Gambia single window’ to verify the completeness of transactions by the Ministry of Finance.
Modou Ceesay testified that GRA refused access, citing the information as “proprietary information, intellectual properties belonging to private citizens.” Modou Ceesay countered, stating they were only asking for copies of the database for backup but GRA refused.
Modou Ceesay added on 8th September 2025, just two days before his official removal, he wrote a final letter to GRA demanding the information, citing Section 160 of the Constitution and Section 16 of the National Audit Act. He stated that during a subsequent meeting with the President, he explained the demand was reasonable and that the denial was based on the “timing of the audit.”
Ceesay then recounted the events leading to his removal. On 10th September 2025 (a Wednesday), he received a request from the Chief Protocol of the Office of the President to visit.
“He offered me the position of the Minister of Trade. I thank him for the trust and honor and promise to get back to him,” Ceesay stated.
Modou Ceesay said after consultation, he returned to the President later that afternoon (around 4:30 PM) to respectfully decline the offer, citing that his “expertise lies in the audit office” and his desire to “serve you better” through sincerity. He informed the Supreme Court that the President told him the publication of his appointment had already been done.
On the morning of 11 September 2025, around 08:00, he formally communicated his rejection via a letter delivered by his Personal Assistant, copying the Secretary to the Cabinet, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, and the Permanent Secretary of the Personnel Management Office through the Chief of Staff.
That evening, he was visited by the Honourable Member of the National Assembly for Saback Badou Ceesay that he’s sent the chief of staff to appeal to him to accept the position, an appeal he dismissed, stating he had already sent his rejection letter.
Later that day, Finance Minister Seedy Keita called, requesting an immediate meeting. Modou Ceesay testified that upon meeting the Minister, he was appealed to, to accept the position.
“He has seen my letter of rejection, and the president has already appointed someone, and the president cannot go back on the decision,” Ceesay recounted the Minister saying.
The Minister reportedly asked him to reflect, citing the benefits of the Ministerial post and their personal relationship but he maintained his rejection.
Modou Ceesay said Minister Seedy Keita replied that they have three opinions now is either he accept the position or the president reverses his decision or the third opinion which they didn’t want to reach but I told him I had made my decision and I’m continuing working as the Auditor General.
On Friday, the Finance Minister called again to inform him of the cabinet decision and he maintained his position, stating he would leave that with the executive to communicate.
At his point Counsel J. Darboe intervenes asking “Where were you given an appointment letter,”?
Modou Ceesay: Yes, I was issued an appointment letter with the seal of the office of the President.
(The letter was admitted and marked as Exhibit D1.)
Counsel J. Darboe: Do you remember anything that requires you to do something?
Modou Ceesay: Yes, at paragraph 10, it requires me to acknowledge whether I accepted the offer, and I did that by replying with a rejection letter.
Counsel J Darboe asked whether he has anything to tell the Court. Modou Ceesay continues saying on Thursday, 11th September 2025, Cherno Sowe came to the office, informing him he was the new Auditor General and requested a formal handing over.
He (Modou Ceesay) replied that he had not received official communication as he had rejected the offer, advising Mr. Sowe to engage relevant authorities.
The following day, after finding journalists at the office to inquire about his acceptance, he decided to hold a press conference. It was at this press briefing that police officers, led by a Mr. Jawo, arrived and informed him he was instructed to be removed from the office.
“There was a push and pull as some of my staff present didn’t agree for me to leave the office,” he testified. He was later escorted outside and visited Counsel J Darboe for legal advice.
Cross Examination by Counsel Ida Drammeh for the state
Counsel I Drammeh: Is it correct that you applied for two positions at the Gambia Revenue Authority?
Modou Ceesay: No, I haven’t applied for a position in the GRA
Counsel I. Drammeh: GRA provides you with their full data but they refuse to take the data.
Modou Ceesay: No, that’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The GRA provides you with all the data but you want personal information.
Modou Ceesay: No, I have never requested personal data we only requested the tax data.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Mr Ceesay it’s correct that you never sent a letter to the president declining the appointment.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect. I have sent a letter declining the appointment.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The only letter you sent was the only letter dated 11th September addressed to the chief of staff.
Modou Ceesay: Yes, that’s correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Do you have a copy?
Modou Ceesay: No.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that you didn’t want to tender that because the latter you wrote wasn’t in response to the letter of your appointment.
Modou Ceesay: Its a response to the letter of appointment.
Counsel Ida Drammeh gave the letter to the witness for confirmation whether that was the reply letter, and the witness confirmed the letter. The letter was admitted and marked as Exhibit P2.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Mr Ceesay you said the letter you sent was sent to the addresses and the GRA wasn’t copied.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting to you that Exhibit P1A wasn’t returned to the office of the President.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: As an Auditor General, you report to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You have a relationship with the minister.
Modou Ceesay: A working relationship.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You know that if you accept the Minister of Trade you cannot be an Auditor.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that up to date you have not submitted 2023, 2024 and 2025 before the national assembly.
Modou Ceesay: No, that’s not correct, the 2022, 2023 is submitted and 2024 is ongoing.
Counsel I. Drammeh: But you have a constitutional requirement to submit the report at a particular time as required by the law.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: But you didn’t fulfil the requirement as required by law.
Modou Ceesay: But the Accountant General has to prepare the accounts for the Auditor General to carry on the audit.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You said the President said he’s pleased with your work.
Modou Ceesay: According to the president.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You are given access to the residence of the President to conduct your audit.
Modou Ceesay: No, I’m not aware.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that your advice is accepted when you advise.
Modou Ceesay: The audit itself is an advice, but when the audit is sent there’s a follow-up to know whether the advice was accepted.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You advise against e-ticket.
Modou Ceesay: Yes, I do because there are reasons because there are things that weren’t appropriate.
Counsel I. Drammeh: When you’re appointed as the Auditor General you send a letter to the president directly.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Why did you send it to the president directly?
Modou Ceesay: Because that is the requirement to write to the president accepting the offer or not.
Counsel Ida Drammeh applied for the tender of the document (acceptance letter), and the letter was admitted and marked as Exhibit P3.
Counsel I. Drammeh: It’s correct that the president told you following your first meeting that he has appointed a replacement for the Auditor General.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: At the second meeting, the president didn’t tell you that he had made a certain appointment.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And he told you he has appointed Cherno Alieu Sowe as the Auditor General.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Mr Ceesay is not correct Cherno Sowe’s appointment was sent to your office.
Modou Ceesay: No, I have seen it copied to my office but a letter wasn’t sent to my office.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You told the court that when Cherno Sowe visited your office he saw you with his letter of appointment.
Modou Ceesay: No, he showed me his letter of acceptance by pointing at me but I did read the content.
Counsel Ida Drammeh: Please have a look at whether that’s the letter he had shown to you as his acceptance letter.
Modou Ceesay: I didn’t receive the letter he just pointed to, and I didn’t read the letter because I told him the conversation is not between us and he can engage the relevant authorities.
Counsel Ida Drammeh applied to tender the letter, and the letter was admitted and marked as Exhibit P4.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Mr Ceesay there was a media briefing of your appointment as Minister of Trade.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Take a look at the letter and tell the court whether that’s the letter.
Modou Ceesay: After looking at the letter he confirmed the media release.
Counsel Drammeh applied to tender the media briefing, and the court admitted and marked as Exhibit P5.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that you have written a letter accepting the appointment and later withdrew.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The president has never interfered with your work.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The Auditor General’s office is for a limited period.
Modou Ceesay: Yes, according to the law.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You’re usher in the office of the president by a protocol officer by the Wuday.
Modou Ceesay: I was ushered in by a protocol but don’t know the name.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You were ushered in by Wuday and you told her sister I’m an appointment as Minister.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And she replied bro congratulations.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And you have told several people that you have been appointed as Minister of Trade.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And you also told Oley Taal that you were appointed as the Minister of Trade.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct, I went with Oley to the State House but I didn’t tell her I was appointed as Minister of Trade.
Counsel I. Drammeh: When the police came to the National Auditor’s office on the 16th there was a commotion.
Modou Ceesay: Yes, there was a commotion.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Because your staff refuse to act on the instructions of the police.
Modou Ceesay: My staff acted in accordance with the instructions of the police.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that the president has never told you to stop the audit until after the election because it will affect his election.
Modou Ceesay: He told me that on several occasions.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The Ministry of Land told you there is no layout to carry out the Audit.
Modou Ceesay: I’m not aware of that because I have never spoken to the Minister.
Counsel I. Drammeh: GRA didn’t refuse to give you the data.
Modou Ceesay: They refused to give me a copy of the database.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You have taken six letters of your communication with GRA from the National Audit Office and filed them in your case.
Modou Ceesay: The copies of the document are in the National Audit Office. Only copied them for my case.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Did you know that you have no authority to take National Audit Office documents.
Modou Ceesay: I’m not aware of that being illegal.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Did you see the statement of defence from the state.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Did the National Food Processing Authority complain about your audit.
Modou Ceesay: I didn’t speak to any of the National Food Processing.
Counsel I. Drammeh: In several of your meetings, you have asked for the president’s support and he has given you the support.
Modou Ceesay: I have never asked for the president’s support I only told him about the independence of the office.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The president told you openly the reason why he appointed you as Minister of Trade.
Modou Ceesay: Yes, he said after some consultation I was identified.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You audited the Central Bank.
Modou Ceesay: No, my office outsources the audit.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Do you know that database information has limitations.
Modou Ceesay: The limitation didn’t restrict the national Audit from conducting its responsibility.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You were allowed to audit.
Modou Ceesay: I was asked to stop the audit.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you nobody asked you to stop.
Modou Ceesay: I was told.
Counsel I. Drammeh: The audit reports of 2023 were completed when Mr Cherno Sowe came in.
Modou Ceesay: That’s partly correct, I conducted the audit and it was completed by Mr Cherno Sowe by only signing.
Counsel I. Drammeh: When the President appointed you as Minister you appreciated the appointment and thanked him for the opportunity.
Modou Ceesay: No, I received the letter and thanked him and promised to get back to him.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting to you that you never told the president you would get back to him.
Modou Ceesay: I received the letter and I told him I would reply.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You accepted the appointment after you opened the letter at the statehouse.
Modou Ceesay: I didn’t open the letter at the statehouse I opened the letter at my office.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that the President never sent anyone to you to reconsider your decision.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You went to social media and announced that you’ll decline the appointment.
Modou Ceesay: That’s incorrect.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Who told What’s On – Gambia
Modou Ceesay: I didn’t know.
Counsel I. Drammeh: Do you Alhagie Ceesay chief of protocol.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And when you go to the State House you see him.
Modou Ceesay: No, I only saw him on his phone.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You told the people that you accept the appointment and you will send a letter.
Modou Ceesay: No, told them I didn’t accept and I sent a letter of rejection.
Counsel I. Drammeh: It is correct that only the Auditor General appointed by the president is permitted to occupy the office.
Modou Ceesay: Yes.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And it’s correct that a new Auditor General was appointed.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct because there was no vacancy in the first place as the Auditor General.
Counsel I. Drammeh: There was a vacancy after you accepted the position of a Minister of trade.
Modou Ceesay: I have never accepted the appointment as Minister.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You held a press conference in the National Audit Office.
Modou Ceesay: I met the press and police at the office and I gave them a briefing.
Counsel I. Drammeh: If you have told the president that you will not accept the appointment the president wouldn’t have given you the appointment letter.
Modou Ceesay: I was never engaged before the president invited me to hand a sealed envelope to me.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you that you never rejected the appointment.
Modou Ceesay: I rejected it.
Counsel I. Drammeh: I’m putting it to you GRA was concerned about your social media engagement.
Modou Ceesay: That’s not correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: And GRA has prepared a team to work with but you rejected it.
Modou Ceesay: No, that wasn’t correct.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You requested the entire database.
Modou Ceesay: I requested the database of the Accountant General and GRA, the accountant General gave me but GRA refused.
Counsel I. Drammeh: You should focus on the Accountant General not the GRA.
Modou Ceesay: The Accountant General collect only 10% of the revenue while GRA collect the entire tax of the country so the audit should be GRA.
The case is adjourned to tomorrow for continuation of the cross examination
