Sergeant Modou Saine, who previously served as personal assistant to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham, has made a number of serious allegations against his former boss, accusing him of corruption and abuse of office.
In a lengthy interview with Kerr Fatou, Saine spoke about the collapse of what he described as a once close professional and personal relationship with Lt. Gen. Cham. According to him, he handled both official duties and personal errands for the CDS for a considerable period before deciding to speak publicly about what he believes were unethical and possibly unlawful actions within the military leadership.
One of the main allegations centres on claims that Lt. Gen. Cham facilitated the inclusion of his son, Muhammed Cham, in a military training programme in Morocco even though he was allegedly not a formally enlisted member of the Gambia Armed Forces at the time.
Saine claimed that Morocco had offered the GAF three separate training opportunities, including a Higher Defence Course, an Officer Cadet Course, and Medical Officer Student Training. According to him, the Officer Cadet slot, which he argues should have gone to a qualified serving soldier, was instead awarded to the CDS’s son.
He further alleged that Lt. Gen. Cham instructed the Director of Operations, Colonel Yorro N.A. Jallow, to prepare a backdated appointment letter to officially place Muhammed Cham on the military register. Documents reviewed by Kerr Fatou reportedly show an enlistment date of October 2, 2023.
However, Saine pointed to Muhammed Cham’s birth certificate, which indicates he was born on February 21, 2007. If accurate, that would mean he was only 16 years old at the time of the alleged enlistment, raising questions about whether proper recruitment procedures were followed.
According to Saine, Muhammed Cham later travelled to Morocco in August 2024 alongside two other candidates to begin cadet training. He was reportedly 17 years and eight months old at the time. Saine maintains that the opportunity should have been reserved for an eligible and qualified member of the armed forces rather than someone allegedly recruited through irregular means.
The allegations have sparked concerns over military recruitment standards, transparency in the allocation of international training opportunities, and the integrity of administrative procedures within the Gambia Armed Forces.
As of the time of publication, neither Lt. Gen. Cham nor the other individuals mentioned in the allegations had publicly responded to the claims..
