The former leader of The Gambia Action Party has admitted that he is in financial troubles and is working on repaying his debts.

Musa Batchilly, who was recently replaced as leader of the Gambia’s youngest party, said his financial troubles have nothing to do with his party.

He told journalists, during an unveiling ceremony of his party’s new leader on Monday at Qcity in Bijilo, that he was a businessman who owed some people money.

“I Bachilly will never lie, I have debts. I owed money to certain people. Any successful businessman has debts and I will repay it. This is my private life, it has nothing to do with GAP,” he said.

Mr. Batchilly is embroiled in a legal dispute with a Senegal based Gambian medical doctor, Mariama Joof, who has accused him of failing to repay a D300,000 debt.

He said the delay to settle his debts was “because he took his daughter who is suffering from kidney problem to India for medical treatment”, adding that he had already paid D100,000 to Dr Joof.

“We respect the law and we follow the procedures of the law. Now the law will deal with her because she gave the whole world and Gambians false information.”

He added: “there is nothing on earth that can move me. This legal battle they say, I’m stronger than yesterday and I will be stronger than tomorrow too.

“We are a threat that is why they are posting menacing, unkind (things to) defame me in all kind of ways.”

He said he would not be detracted by his critics adding that “they don’t have any fact about me… they’re rumour mongers.”

Reporting by Adama Barrow