By Fatou Sillah
The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services has issued a press statement expressing disappointment over a recent publication by a group calling themselves Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA). According to the Ministry, the publication misrepresents and distorts comments made by the Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, during his weekly government update on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio.
The publication in question, titled “A Nation Misled by the State”, claims that Dr. Ceesay questioned the credibility of the list of asset buyers and sellers released by the Ministry of Justice. However, the Ministry firmly refutes this interpretation, stating that the Minister neither questioned the existence of the list nor suggested its inaccuracy.
“The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services expresses its disappointment over a recent publication by a group who identify themselves as Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), which misrepresents and distorts a statement made by the Honorable Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, during his weekly Government update on the Coffee Time with Peter Gomez program on West Coast Radio,” the statement reads.
The Ministry clarified that the Minister neither stated, implied, nor confirmed that such a list does not exist. Instead, he explained that the detailed report on asset sales was not part of the initial submission to the President. The Ministry emphasized that the existence of this list, as part of the broader documentation, is not in question.
Additionally, the Ministry reaffirmed that the list of asset buyers and sellers published by the Ministry of Justice is authentic. Its accuracy and integrity will be further scrutinized and verified during the ongoing National Assembly inquiry.
“The publication issued by GALA, titled “A Nation Misled by the State,” falsely alleges that the Honorable Minister stated the published list was misleading and that the Commission’s report never contained any names of buyers or sellers. This claim is wholly inaccurate and represents a serious misquotation and distortion of the Minister’s actual remarks,” the Ministry stated.
The Ministry condemned GALA’s actions and called for responsible engagement from all civic organizations and media outlets in matters of public interest.
“The Ministry categorically condemns the deliberate misrepresentation of the Honorable Minister’s statement and urges all civic actors and media entities to engage responsibly in matters of public interest. The propagation of misinformation not only undermines efforts toward transparency and accountability but also disrupts constructive public discourse. We call on all parties committed to truth and good governance to prioritize accuracy and integrity in their communications,” the statement concluded.