By: Fatou Dahaba
Auditors have uncovered serious financial and procurement irregularities at the Office of the President, including close to D10 million in inflated contract prices, questionable overpayments, contradictory approvals, and millions of dalasis in addenda lacking proper documentation.
The revelations emerged during a high-stakes public hearing before the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), where auditors from the country’s national audit office presented damning findings that have placed the presidency under intense scrutiny.
Among the most striking issues: contract prices were inflated by nearly D9.8 million, while contract addenda totaling over D42 million were either incompletely documented or entirely missing approval records. The Office of the President has been granted extra time to produce the outstanding paperwork.
In one high-profile case, auditors identified an overpayment of D1.84 million related to air-conditioning upgrades at State House. Although a revised contract specified 24,000 BTU units, payments exceeded verified costs by D50,000. Management attributed the discrepancy to additional units supplied and promised verification. A separate D154,000 payment for an extra unit was later refunded, with a receipt dated December 8, 2025, presented to confirm repayment to the Accountant General.
Auditors further criticized the separation of payments for cassette-type air conditioners and their associated piping and fittings, arguing the costs should have been bundled and clearly stated in the original requisitions. OP officials maintained that cassette systems require extra materials not needed for standard units. The committee has ordered independent verification of these justifications.
Adding to the concerns, the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) approved a contract while simultaneously declaring that required conditions had not been fulfilled — a contradiction the FPAC chairman, Hon. Alagie S. Darboe, described as procedurally unacceptable.
“If you approve, you approve. You cannot approve and at the same time say the conditions were not met,” Darboe remarked.
In another breach of standard safeguards, auditors could not locate the performance security bond for a 2018 contract, underscoring a fundamental lapse regardless of the project’s eventual completion.
The FPAC committee has now set firm deadlines in early March for the Office of the President to submit all missing evidence and address the outstanding queries, signaling that accountability for public funds remains a top priority for lawmakers.
