Gambia: Ex-Auditor General Claims D15.8m As State Challenges Compensation Bid

Former Auditor General Modou Ceesay has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court claiming a total of D15,815,425.76 following the Court's judgment of 7 July 2026, while the State has challenged aspects of his claim and sought an opportunity to address the Court on the issue of his monetary entitlements.

In his affidavit of entitlements, Ceesay said he is claiming D15,815,425.76 as compensation from the defendants, in addition to D4 million awarded by the Supreme Court as vindicatory damages.

The affidavit states that the D15.8 million claim comprises his salaries, allowances, pension, gratuity and other benefits due under the Supreme Court's order.

According to the computation attached to the affidavit, Ceesay claims D10,444,035.55 as aggregated salaries and allowances from the date of the judgment until the expiration of the nine-year maximum term of office as Auditor General.

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He is also claiming D1,679,097.56 as salaries and allowances from 15 September to the date of the Supreme Court judgment.

The affidavit further claims D120,508.01 as pension and other retirement entitlements, as well as D2,960,000 for vehicle entitlement and monthly fuel allowance.

In response, the State filed a motion seeking leave to address the Supreme Court on Section 5(2) of the 1997 Constitution, arguing that the issue had not been canvassed before the judgment was delivered.

In an affidavit filed in support of the motion, sworn to by Senior State Counsel AbdoulieBadjie and filed, Counsel Ida Drammehon behalf of the state stated that the plaintiff's writ of summons sought only a declaration regarding the legality of his removal and did not specifically seek relief under Section 5(2) of the Constitution or claim monetary compensation or damages.

It further stated that prior to the delivery of the judgement, the parties had not addressed the Court on the plaintiff's salaries, allowances, gratuity, pension or other monetary entitlements.

The State also contended that its enquiries indicate Ceesay would not have reached the statutory retirement age before the expiry of the nine-year maximum term provided under Section 16 of the National Audit Office Act, 2015.

According to the affidavit, the Attorney General's Chambers has so far obtained only two of the plaintiff's payslips and requires verification of employment and financial records from several government institutions before the plaintiff's entitlements can be accurately computed.

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The State is therefore asking the Supreme Court to permit it to present further submissions and additional evidence regarding the computation of Ceesay's entitlements.

It also seeks more time to effect payment of any sums ultimately awarded, arguing that the necessary government appropriations would be required and could not reasonably be completed within 60 days of the judgment.

The matter was adjourned until next week Tuesday.