The Gambia’s new audior General, Modou Ceesay, has been accused of graft in office including financial corruption and nepotism.

However, Modou Ceesay is yet to respond to the corruption allegations levelled against him by a whistleblower. 

Mr Ceesay replaced the much-praised Karamba Jaiteh who retires from national service after dozen of corruption and mismanagement exposés.

A whistleblower told Gambiana that Mr Ceesay has “refused to hand over” the Office of Internal Audi since November when he became Auditor General. 

And that he has been running the government department like a personal business allegedly hiring family members and taking office equipment for personal use.

They alleged: “For last 5 years, when [the Audit] office buys laptops, Ceesay always removes 2-3 laptops and takes them. No one has ever known where he takes them. If I am lying, let the Ministry Audit allow money for laptops and confirm which laptops Internal Audit has.

“Ceesay has also been doing side deals with big suppliers of government. This why he tell all auditors that every government transaction over 1 million dalasi has to be approved by him and Momodou Jobe. Ask auditors in the Ministry. They query payment but suppliers go to Ceesay and he stamps (them). Even Jobe used to do this.”

“The office is now almost 95% made up of his family. If you don’t believe, let investigation be made in all people recruited from 2017 to now. Only his relatives get promotion. Other people who disagree with him are frustrated and sidelined.

“Ceesay at times in internal audit he gets per diem to travel out of the country. Instead, he would stay in his home while he has taken the money. If you don’t believe, let them investigate all his trips from 2017 to now.

“While internal audit was having transport challenges to do their job, Ceesay took 3 Internal Audit cars and was using them for his own use —1 car for his wife; 1 car for him; 1 car to transport his children to and from school. If you don’t believe this, do investigation of all drivers.

“Ceesay was using internal audit to blackmail government people for favours. This is why he would conduct most audits based on his personal interests and rumours. 

“Ceesay frustrated audit committee that is supposed to supervise him. The committee has never met the the Minister of Finance in over 3 years. 

“He would meet them only when he wants. No action would be forwarded to Minister of Finance. If you don’t believe me, ask Mr. Barry the Audit chairman. At National Audit Office, he already started off with us tendencies,” the source added.

Gambiana has contacted Modou Ceesay for comment on this graft allegations and made series of telephone calls to his office but he could not be reached.

Gambiana was later told by some staff of the Audit Office that Modou Ceesay travelled out of the country.  

By Special Correspondent