The deployment of police to forcibly remove Auditor General Modou Ceesay from office has drawn sharp criticism from civil society, with Gambia Participates warning that the action exceeds the constitutional powers of the Executive and violates the independence of the National Audit Office (NAO).

On 10 September 2025, the presidency announced that Mr Ceesay had been appointed Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment.

But in a press release the following day, Mr Ceesay rejected the ministerial post and reaffirmed his intention to continue as Auditor General.

Despite this, on 15 September officers from the Police Intervention Unit, some armed, entered the NAO and removed Mr Ceesay from his office.

Gambia Participates condemned the move, saying it constitutes unlawful interference in the work of an office whose independence is guaranteed under Section 160(7) of the 1997 Constitution and Section 14(a) of the National Audit Office Act, 2015.

The law provides that the Auditor General may only be removed on three grounds: incapacity due to ill health, misbehaviour, or incompetence.

In such cases, removal requires either a Medical Board’s recommendation or a tribunal made up of a High Court judge, the Ombudsman, a Public Service Commission member, and a chartered accountant.

“In this instance, none of the legal procedures were followed,” the organisation said.

“The President cannot unilaterally remove the Auditor General or deploy police to enforce such a removal without breaching the Constitution. These acts are unlawful, ultra vires, and undermine both the rule of law and constitutional governance.”

Gambia Participates called on the authorities to:

Cease all unlawful actions against the Auditor General.

Allow Mr Ceesay to resume his duties without obstruction.

Uphold the constitutional and statutory independence of the NAO.

Ensure any future actions comply fully with the 1997 Constitution and the NAO Act.

Enable Parliament to exercise swift oversight on the matter.

The group stressed that the NAO’s independence is a cornerstone of financial accountability, warning that arbitrary interference not only erodes trust in public audits but also threatens democratic governance.