Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, has refuted allegations by former Vice President Fatoumatta Tambajang regarding the misuse of European Union (EU) funds for political purposes.

Addressing the media, Dr. Ceesay described Tambajang’s statement as “false, inaccurate, and lacking credibility,” questioning the motivation behind it.

He stressed that EU funds are strictly regulated and cannot be diverted to support political party initiatives.

He noted that the timing cited by Tambajang makes the claim implausible.

“She mentioned that these funds were made available when she was vice-president. How many years ago was that? Seven, eight years? How can funds from that period be used for party politics now? It’s simply not possible. The EU would never allow that,” he said.

Highlighting Tambajang’s experience as a former vice president, Dr. Ceesay pointed out that she should understand how donor funds are disbursed and monitored. Any attempt to repurpose international aid for political activities would violate both EU regulations and national rules.

Dr. Ceesay’s clarification comes amid growing political debate over past administrations’ handling of international development funds.

He emphasised that the Gambian government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and ensuring that EU funds are used exclusively for development and humanitarian purposes.

By Adama Makasuba