By Arret Jatta
The Supreme Court has ruled yesterday that former Auditor General Modou Ceesay is entitled to receive all salaries, allowances, benefits and retirement entitlements due under its earlier judgment, paving the way for him to receive D17,585,213.69 after deductions. The court ordered the state to make the payment including a 10 per cent annual interest of D1,529,291 on or before 30th November 2026. The court also ruled, Ceesay is entitled a monthly pension payment of D120,733.50 which will begin from 7th July 2026.
The decision settles a dispute that arose after the court’s 7th July judgment, which declared Ceesay’s removal from office unconstitutional and ordered that he be compensated with the salaries and allowances he would have earned during the remainder of his nine-year tenure, in addition to D4 million in damages.
Following that judgment, the state filed an affidavit through the permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office, Lamin Foday Jawara, challenging several items in Ceesay’s compensation claim.
The state argued that responsibility and telephone allowances should not be included because they were intended to facilitate the performance of official duties rather than serve as personal earnings. It also maintained that Ceesay was not entitled to a monthly fuel allowance, claiming he had instead received fuel coupons while in office.
Government lawyers further argued that Ceesay was not entitled to immediate pension and gratuity benefits, contending that such payments only become payable upon reaching the statutory retirement age or under the conditions set out in the relevant laws.
The state also informed the court that Ceesay owed the National Audit Office D144,266.61 from a staff loan and requested that the amount be deducted from any compensation awarded.
Counsel for Ceesay, Lamin J Darbo, opposed the state’s position, arguing that the court’s earlier judgment entitled his client to full compensation.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court upheld Ceesay’s entitlement to all salaries, allowances, benefits and retirement benefits. After deducting the outstanding loan, Ceesay is expected to receive D17.5 million in compensation.