Edward Francis Small Centre Issued statement calling for probe into the conduct of Anti-Corruption Commissioner Almami James Manga
The statement issued today 4th February 2026 reads as follows:
EFSCRJ Calls for Investigation in the Conduct of Anti-Corruption Commissioner Almami S Manga
Following social media reports of allegations of bribery and corruption levied against a police prosecutor and a Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Almami S Manga, EFSCRJ has received and reviewed a statement of rebuttal by Mr. Manga. We have come to the conclusion that Mr. Manga’s conduct constitutes abuse of office and conflict of intertest, and falls below the standard expected of a police officer and an anti-corruption commissioner. We therefore call for an inquiry in the conduct of Mr. Manga in line with the Anti-Corruption Act 2023, and if found liable be removed from the Commission.
Contrary to his statement seeking to deny impropriety and involvement in the matter, we have found that Mr. Manga was not only involved but also brought his influence to bear on the matter as reflected in his own statements. Among these include,
• “I facilitated her access strictly in line with standard procedure by accompanying her to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), where a formal complaint was duly recorded (D/REF:15/13/11/2025)”
• “This approach was endorsed by investigators as a legitimate option, and I communicated same to Mr. Badjie, who agreed.”
• “On the agreed Friday, at my personal expense and without any institutional facilitation, we visited the site.”
• “After the visit, I relayed factual observations to Mr. Badjie and advised that documentary verification was essential before any conclusion could be drawn.”
• “Upon receipt of the lease, I independently transmitted the document to the Ministry of Justice (Deeds Department) for verification in December 2025.”
• “I further advised that only upon full rectification, through valid deeds of assignment, payment of capital gains tax, stamp duty, and lawful change of lease details, could a fresh verification be undertaken.”
In these selected statements from his rebuttal, Mr. Manga admits that he personally facilitated access to the SIU for a complainant by individuals connected to him, accompanied parties to a site visit while the matter was under investigation, acted as intermediary between investigators and private parties, and communicated investigative expectations and timelines.
Furthermore, we found clear case of conflict of interest when Mr. Manga stated this,
“At a later stage, Mr. Khan requested my professional services as a qualified legal practitioner to draft a deed of assignment related to an intended land transaction, with the stated aim of resolving the dispute. I agreed solely in my professional capacity, and strictly in the interest of facilitating resolution for the complainant.
For the avoidance of doubt, legal drafting services rendered by me, like those rendered to many others, are subject to professional consideration. The Wave transaction referenced online was payment for this lawful service and nothing else.”
“I have previously prosecuted Mr. Khan and am familiar with his patterns of conduct. This context is not incidental.”
These statements indicate that Mr. Manga had prior prosecutorial history with the suspect and later accepted professional fees from the same suspect. As a police prosecutor and an anti-corruption commissioner, Mr. Manga should not provide paid legal services to any party, especially individuals he had prosecuted before. Under best practice in police ethics, anti-corruption norms, and judicial and administrative standards, an official must not render paid services to a person who is, or was recently, under investigation in a matter they were involved in, either directly or indirectly.
Even if done “helpfully” or “professionally,” these acts blur institutional boundaries and compromise professional standards and ethics for which there is need for police investigation and his removal from the ACC.
Mr. Manga’s actions did not only undermine his position as an anti-corruption commissioner and a police prosecutor, but these actions also violate the Constitution under Section 222: Duties of a Public Officer, which provides under subsection 10 that, “A public officer shall not put himself or herself in a position where his or her personal interest conflicts with his or her duties or responsibilities.”
Furthermore, subsection 13(c) states that, “A person holding an office in a public service or any disciplined force shall not, take part in any activities which cast doubt on his or her capacity to deal impartially with matters or issues which are the concern of his or her public office or which interfere with the performance of his or her public duties.”
We also found Mr. Manga’s conduct to undermine the GPF Code of Conduct under Article 12: Professional Conduct, which states that, “Police officers shall at all times comport
themselves in a manner that will ensure they represent a good image and reputation of the Gambia Police Force.”
The issue between one Mr. Tijan Khan and one Mr. Mr. Pa Famara Badjie concerned the police hence Mr. Manga need not go to the extent he went at a personal level hence interference.
In light of the foregoing, EFSCRJ holds that Mr. Almami S Manga, as a police prosecutor and an anti-corruption commissioner, should not have involved himself in this matter as he confirmed. A legally safer and institutionally sound approach would have been:
1. Non-involvement in the first place in any way in the matter.
2. Immediate recusal once personal connections emerged.
3. Refusal of any paid service from a person linked to the case.
4. Full disclosure to the Police Command and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
We therefore conclude that Almami S Manga has undermined his credibility to serve in the Anti-Corruption Commission and abused his position as a police prosecutor by his involvement in this case.
We therefore call for the following:
1. The President of the Republic to establish a Vetting Committee in line with Section 4, subsection 3(b), (c), (d), and Section 4(5) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2023 to investigate Mr. Manga, and if found culpable to remove Almami S Manga from the Anti-Corruption Commission.
2. The Inspector General of Police to institute an inquiry into the conduct of Almami S Manga in light of his involvement in this matter and the allegations of bribery.
EFSCRJ will submit a formal complaint to the relevant authorities to ensure that transparency and accountability.
2026 – Year of Empowered Citizens.
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