The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has expressed deep concern over what it describes as government attempts to discredit the National Audit Office’s reports for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the rights group accused several cabinet ministers, including Information minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay, Works minister Ebrima Sillah and Chief of Staff Mod K. Ceesay, of making “misleading and irresponsible” public comments aimed at dismissing the Auditor General’s findings.

The EFSCRJ said the attacks followed the submission of the audit reports to the Minister of Finance and the National Assembly on 26 September 2025, as required by Section 160 of the 1997 Constitution.

“These public outbursts, aimed at dismissing the audit findings, are misleading and irresponsible. They undermine transparency and accountability and hence weaken governance,” the statement said.

The group reminded the government that the audit process is a constitutional and professional exercise based on international standards and governed by the National Audit Office Act, 2015.

It added that the reports should be examined by the National Assembly’s Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committees, not through “media debates or political statements.”

“The continued efforts by ministers to undermine the integrity of the NAO and its findings constitute a direct interference in the independence of the Auditor General, which is expressly prohibited by law,” the statement continued.

EFSCRJ urged President Adama Barrow and his cabinet to respect the Constitution and refrain from making statements that discredit the Auditor General or the audit reports.

It called on the government to instead:
Establish a mechanism to review the audit findings

Recover misused or unaccounted public funds

Discipline or prosecute officials found culpable

Implement reforms to safeguard public resources and strengthen accountability

“The National Audit Office is a vital instrument of democracy and accountability,” EFSCRJ stated.

“Attacking the Auditor General or attempting to manipulate public perception against the audit reports is tantamount to undermining the rule of law and the sovereignty of the Gambian people whose taxes finance public expenditure.”

The group also urged the National Assembly, civil society, and the media to remain vigilant and defend the independence and credibility of the NAO as a cornerstone of transparent and accountable governance.