Africa-Press – Gambia. A Banjul Magistrates’ Court has convicted a project manager, Ebrima Ceesay, for fraudulently disposing of more than six million dalasis belonging to a United Kingdom–based charity that had entrusted him with funds to build a school in southern Gambia.
Mr. Ceesay was found guilty after entering a voluntary plea to a charge of fraudulent disposal of trust property before Principal Magistrate M. Krubally. The case stems from funds provided by the Unique Children’s Charity Organization for a school construction project in Gunjur village.
According to evidence presented in court, the charity transferred 7.65 million dalasis (about £100,000) between 2023 and 2024 into an Ecobank account designated for the project. The planned facility was to include eight classrooms, an administrative and reception block, sanitation facilities, and a football pitch. Mr. Ceesay, who served as project manager and sole signatory to the account, was entrusted with full control of the funds.
Police investigations showed that only about 1.47 million dalasis was spent on the project. Prosecutors said Mr. Ceesay diverted the remaining 6,071,040 dalasis for personal use.
Appearing initially without legal representation and addressing the court in English, Mr. Ceesay pleaded guilty to the first count of fraudulent disposal of trust property. He denied a second charge of stealing, arguing that his conduct did not meet the legal definition of that offense.
During sentencing submissions, defense counsel A. Sanneh urged the court to show leniency, describing Mr. Ceesay as a first-time offender with no prior criminal record. Counsel said he was a young, married man and the sole provider for his family, and argued that his early admission of guilt demonstrated remorse and spared the court a lengthy trial.
Mr. Sanneh also told the court that Mr. Ceesay is a university student who had been involved in coordinating scholarships for about 150 Gambian students—efforts that, he said, would be disrupted by a custodial sentence.
In delivering the sentence, Magistrate Krubally described the breach of trust as “horrible” and “disheartening,” particularly given the charitable purpose of the funds. Nonetheless, citing the principle of rehabilitating first-time offenders, he opted against immediate imprisonment.
The court fined Mr. Ceesay 50,000 dalasis or, in default, one year in prison, and ordered him to pay compensation of 6.1 million dalasis to the charity. Magistrate Krubally directed that repayment of the missing funds begin with an initial payment of 1.1 million dalasis by Nov. 30, 2025, followed by monthly installments of one million dalasis through April 2026. Failure to comply with the payment schedule would result in a five-year prison term, the court said.
Mr. Ceesay was granted bail under strict conditions to allow him to raise the funds. These include providing two sureties and depositing title deeds valued at the judgment sum.
The case is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 14, 2025, for the hearing of the second count of stealing, which Mr. Ceesay has denied.
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