By: Fatou Dahaba
Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Hon. Seedy Keita on Wednesday assured the National Assembly that the government has recovered D1,041,060 out of D27,507,510 in public funds flagged as misused in the 2023 Auditor General’s report.
The disclosure came during a lively question-and-answer session in the chamber, where lawmakers pressed the minister for concrete evidence of recoveries and updates on broader efforts to tackle financial irregularities across government institutions.
Hon. Omar Jammeh, the National Assembly Member for Janjangbureh, directly asked the minister to state how much of the public funds identified as misused in the 2023 and 2024 audit reports had been recovered, and what evidence supported those claims.
In response, Hon. Keita provided specific figures. He told lawmakers that the 2023 Auditor General’s report highlighted D27,507,510 in misused funds, of which D1,041,060 had so far been recovered. The minister referred members to Table 1A of the report, which captures fraud cases, and noted that the matter was further detailed on page 118.
In the 2024 audit, he revealed that fraud cases totaling D72,458,141 had been identified, directing attention to Table 1B and page 103 of that report.
However, Hon. Jammeh pressed further, demanding material evidence such as deposit slips, receipts, or treasury records. He pointed out that while over D1 million had been recovered, the majority of the flagged funds remained unaccounted for.
Hon. Keita assured the Assembly that the recovered amounts are duly reflected in the government’s set of accounts. “Any funds booked into the accounts would have supporting documents,” he said. He offered to collaborate with relevant teams to make those records available to the National Assembly.
When queried whether the National Audit Office had verified the recoveries, the minister explained that inclusion in the audited government accounts implies standard audit verification of the receipts. He added that providing the actual receipts would offer additional proof.
The session saw continued engagement from other lawmakers, who sought clarifications on recoveries from the 2024 audit and expressed concern over the slow pace of retrieving the funds. Hon. Keita responded that the audit reports already indicate recoveries where they have occurred. In many cases, he noted, they are still under investigation or proceeding through litigation.
“Recovery of funds in fraud-related matters often depends on the outcome of court proceedings,” the minister explained. “Delays are mainly tied to the judicial process, as confirmation of illegality and enforcement of recovery are subject to the law and court decisions.”
Beyond the specific figures in the audit reports, Hon. Keita announced that the Ministry of Finance is compiling a more comprehensive, up-to-date list of all unaccounted-for, misappropriated, or fraud-related public funds across government institutions. The ministry has reached out to various ministries, departments, agencies, the National Audit Office, and the Internal Audit Directorate to gather detailed information.
He assured the Assembly that this updated report would be submitted to lawmakers within the next month.
Additionally, the minister disclosed administrative recoveries amounting to D581,903. These involve cases where staff members received salaries while on leave of absence without entitlement. Such overpayments are being clawed back through internal mechanisms.
The exchange highlighted ongoing tensions in the National Assembly over transparency and accountability in public finance management.
The Speaker of the National Assembly intervened during the session, advising ministers to provide direct oral answers with clear figures and explanations rather than relying heavily on references to documents that may not be immediately accessible to members on the floor.
This latest update comes amid growing public and parliamentary scrutiny of how public funds are managed and recovered in The Gambia. The Auditor General’s reports have consistently raised red flags on financial irregularities, prompting calls for stronger oversight, faster investigations, and more decisive action against those found culpable.
Hon. Keita’s responses underscore the government’s commitment to addressing these issues, though lawmakers continue to demand swifter recoveries and greater transparency. As the ministry works on its broader compilation of cases, expectations are high that the forthcoming report will shed more light on the full extent of the problem and the concrete steps being taken to safeguard public resources.
The developments reflect a broader push for fiscal accountability, with the National Assembly playing a key oversight role in ensuring that misused funds are returned to the state coffers and that systemic weaknesses are addressed.
