Madi Jobarteh urges contempt charges against Finance Minister over Karpower claims

By Alieu Jallow

Human rights activist Madi Jobarteh has called on The Gambia’s National Assembly to charge Finance Minister Seedy Keita with contempt, accusing him of deliberately misleading lawmakers about payments owed to Turkish energy company Karpowership.

Jobarteh argues that Keita’s conduct meets the constitutional threshold for contempt of parliament, citing Section 110, which defines contempt as any act or omission that obstructs the legislature from carrying out its duties. He says the minister knowingly misrepresented facts before lawmakers on December 3.

Appearing before the National Assembly, Keita said The Gambia expected a World Bank budget support package of US$45 million, part of which would be used to clear US$19.6 million (approximately D1,440,600,000) in arrears owed to Karpower.

“We had put in the budget US$20 million, expected to be budget support from the World Bank, but we had a very good engagement with them, and they have increased this to US$45 million. And part of this money will be used to pay off the Karpower arrears upon the termination of the agreement,” he told lawmakers.

He repeated the claim to The Standard newspaper, suggesting the arrears would be deducted from incoming World Bank funds. But five days later, on 8 December, Karpower Country Manager Omar AB Njie issued a correction, saying no arrears were outstanding.

“We do not have any arrears with NAWEC nor the Government of The Gambia. Our contract was not terminated; it expired on 2 May 2025. A few weeks after, the Government paid all arrears owed. We sent an invoice of US$19.6 million and on 16 May 2025, we received €17,999,458.87 through the Central Bank,” Njie clarified.

This aligned with earlier reporting by The Fatu Network, which had stated the arrears were settled months earlier. Instead of acknowledging this, the Ministry of Finance issued a press release on December 5 accusing the outlet of “misinformation.” Yet, within the same statement, the Ministry confirmed Karpower had been fully paid, saying the government had made an advance payment earlier in the year to be reimbursed once World Bank funds arrived.

On December 9, the Ministry followed up with a Facebook post claiming to “set the records straight.” But Jobarteh insists the only correction needed was from the Ministry itself. “By December 3, the Minister already knew the Government owed nothing to Karpower. The arrears were cleared since May, and the expected World Bank funds were to reimburse the Treasury not to pay Karpower again. The Minister did not misspeak. He misrepresented facts before the National Assembly,” he said.

Jobarteh argues the misinformation came from the Ministry, not the media, and says the confusion could have been avoided had the correct information been provided on time. “This is not poor communication. It is a breach of constitutional duty,” he stressed.

He also cited Section 75 of the Constitution, which gives the National Assembly authority to remove a minister for misconduct or failure to perform duties. Jobarteh noted this is not the first time Keita has faced scrutiny, recalling his failure to submit the 2024 budget estimates within the constitutionally mandated timeline, an omission that led to a Supreme Court case brought by civil society, including Jobarteh himself.

“There is a pattern here: disregard for constitutional timelines, inconsistent statements, and administrative negligence,” he said.

Jobarteh concluded that Keita has misled both the legislature and the public, undermined parliamentary oversight, and violated constitutional principles. “The Gambian people invest millions of dalasi in ministers and lawmakers. In return, they expect competence, honesty, and accountability. No minister should mislead the National Assembly without consequence,” he argued.

For these reasons, Jobarteh insists the National Assembly should charge Keita with contempt and consider his removal under Section 75.

 By Alieu Jallow Human rights activist Madi Jobarteh has called on The Gambia’s National Assembly to charge Finance Minister Seedy Keita with contempt, accusing him of deliberately misleading lawmakers about payments owed to Turkish energy company Karpowership. Jobarteh argues that Keita’s conduct meets the constitutional threshold for contempt of parliament, citing Section 110, which defines The Fatu Network