The Gambia's deputy ambassador to Cuba, Vincent Mendy has alleged that his boss, Ambassador Sheikh Tijan Hydara impregnated his cook and used embassy funds for her abortion.

In a marathon letter to the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent wrote: "A few months after he arrived in Cuba, he impregnated the cook  in his residence, one of the staff that he brought along to Cuba and according to him, she is a niece to one of his wives."

He continued: "He took the girl to a local clinic with the help of a local staff in the residence and aborted the pregnancy. The girl developed some post-abortion infection and was taken to a clinic for treatment. 

"While I was on a short vacation in April 2023, he forced the Financial Attaché and First Secretary Mr. Lamin Jammeh to pay 80% of the bill from the Embassy funds, which she was not entitled to. 

"Upon returning, I wrote to the Permanent Secretary's office for clarification because he used a phrase in the Foreign Service Regulations to force them to pay. Unfortunately, I never received a response from the Ministry."

The secretary general at the Office of the President, Salimatou Touray is currently in Cuba to investigate some of the allegations against Ambassador Hydara, who was appointed shortly after the 2021 presidential election.