Event Summary
On 15 September 2025, police arrested four activists during a press conference condemning the removal of the Auditor General from office. The police forcibly removed Auditor General Momodou Ceesay from the National Audit Office after he rejected President Adama Barrow’s appointment of him as Trade Minister. Plain-clothes police officers attempted to arrest Ceesay and install his successor, but staff members initially blocked them until reinforcements arrived to escort Ceesay out. Ceesay, appointed in 2022, had overseen high-profile audit reports exposing government irregularities and calling for tighter spending controls.
The activists were arrested outside the National Audit Office protesting Ceesay’s removal. Police Intervention Unit officers reportedly used tear gas indiscriminately to disperse the crowd and prevent journalists from covering the event. Four activists; Kemo Fatty, Alieu Bah, Momodou Camara, and Omar Saibo Camara, were subsequently charged with unlawful assembly and common nuisance.
The forced removal and arrest of protesters represent a significant escalation in tensions between civil society activists and the government over accountability and anti-corruption efforts.