Auditor General of The Gambia, Cherno Amadou Sowe, convened with journalists and editors on 14 October 2026 to address the standards of public audit reporting. This engagement, held on 14 October 2026, served as a platform for the Auditor General of The Gambia, Cherno Amadou Sowe, to discuss the critical intersection between official financial oversight and public communication. Regarding the role of the press, Cherno Amadou Sowe stated, "In a democratic society, the media occupies a unique and indispensable position." He explained that his office, the National Audit Office, examines if public funds are managed efficiently and in compliance with laws. "As the Supreme Audit Institution of The Gambia, the NAO recognises that our work can have a greater impact when the findings and recommendations arising from our audits are accurately understood and effectively communicated to the public," Cherno Amadou Sowe noted. He urged that reporting remain balanced and evidence-based to ensure audit objectives are properly interpreted by citizens.
Role of Audit Office
National Audit Office staff perform financial, compliance, performance, and information technology audits to assess the management of public resources. These investigations follow the established principles of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions. Specifically, the institution adheres to the standards set forth in INTOSAI-P 12 to maintain professional consistency and accountability in its reporting. The National Audit Office (NAO) conducts these financial, compliance, performance, and information technology audits as part of its core mandate to ensure transparency across the public sector. By operating under the principles of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), specifically INTOSAI-P 12, the office ensures that its methodology remains aligned with global best practices for government auditing.
Official audit reports are submitted directly to the National Assembly to provide the necessary data for parliamentary oversight. This process ensures that legislators have access to formal findings when reviewing the fiscal activities of government departments. Audit reports are submitted to the National Assembly to support parliamentary oversight, a function that the Auditor General of The Gambia, Cherno Amadou Sowe, describes as essential for the democratic accountability of the state.
Cherno Amadou Sowe emphasized that public interpretations of these audit findings require careful nuance regarding the nature of the identified issues. During his address, the Auditor General of The Gambia clarified that audit conclusions often reflect systemic or procedural gaps rather than criminal intent. Cherno Amadou Sowe stated, "For instance, an identified weakness does not automatically establish fraud or deliberate wrongdoing." He cautioned that media organizations should avoid equating administrative shortcomings with active corruption when interpreting audit documents. Sowe cautioned that identified weaknesses in an audit do not automatically establish fraud or deliberate wrongdoing, noting that the distinction between a technical oversight and a criminal act is vital for maintaining public trust in government institutions. By focusing on the technical findings rather than speculative narratives, the media can better serve the public interest while upholding the integrity of the information provided by the National Audit Office.