Police officers have stormed the National Audit Office on Monday to forcefully eject Auditor General Modou Ceesay from his post.

The dramatic showdown came a week after Mr Ceesay rejected President Adama Barrow’s offer to appoint him Trade Minister, sparking a political storm.

Ceesay, however, dismissed the appointment as invalid, insisting he was never officially notified, neither in writing nor verbally, of any ministerial post. He said he would not take up a position he did not accept.

Despite his rejection, calls from ruling party loyalists have mounted for him to reconsider. But Ceesay stood firm, describing the offer as unsolicited and inappropriate.

On Monday morning, a heavy police presence was registered at the audit office as officers moved in. Their arrival interrupted an interview Ceesay was granting reporters.

In a viral video circulating online, a senior police commissioner is heard asking him to “step out for a short meeting” before the officers escorted him away from his office.

The unprecedented move has triggered outrage among Gambians, with critics accusing the government of undermining the independence of the Auditor General’s office.

By Adama Makasuba