UNITE accuses gov't of misrepresenting report
The party claims the government's White Paper distorts findings to disqualify presidential candidate Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
The UNITE coalition has accused the Gambian government of deliberately misrepresenting a Commission of Inquiry report to influence the upcoming elections and disqualify its presidential candidate, Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda. UNITE Secretary for Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Abdul Aziz Bensouda, stated at a press conference that the government's White Paper distorts the commission's findings.
Bensouda argued that the White Paper does not reflect the actual report, which he said contains no disqualifying findings against the mayor. He noted that an adverse finding served in May stated only that the mayor had "exercised political and executive influence in a manner capable of causing or sustaining irregular commitments, unauthorised expenditure, irregular project direction, and extra-statutory financial exposure," which he contended does not amount to corruption or misconduct.
UNITE also alleged that the report was altered after its May submission to the President, with metadata showing changes, and suggested parts may have been generated by artificial intelligence. The party claims the government is politicising the report's release ahead of nominations to use state resources to influence the 2026 elections and warned of rising political tensions.
Why it mattersThe UNITE coalition alleges the government is misrepresenting a commission report to disqualify their presidential candidate, Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda, potentially affecting his eligibility for public office.