By Fatou Sillah
Civil society organizations in The Gambia on Friday called for independent investigations into individuals and institutions implicated in the disposal of assets belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh as they pressed the government to act on the findings of a National Assembly inquiry.
At a news conference, the organizations presented a joint position paper responding to the report of the National Assembly Special Select Committee, which examined the sale and disposal of assets identified following the Janneh Commission’s investigation into the financial dealings of the former president.
The statement, read by Ajie Fatou Bah of the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice, called for a series of legal and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and improving how recovered public assets are managed.
“We call for the prompt, independent, and impartial investigation of all individuals and institutions implicated in the SSC Report and, where sufficient evidence exists, the initiation of appropriate administrative, civil, or criminal proceedings,” the statement said.
The groups also called for a nationwide forensic audit of all assets recovered, managed, allocated, or disposed of following the Janneh Commission’s findings.
They said such an audit should include the public disclosure of comprehensive asset inventories, valuation reports, disposal records, the identities of beneficiaries, and the revenue generated from the transactions. Where the state is found to have suffered financial losses, they said, authorities should take steps to recover the funds or assets.
The organizations further urged the government to publish a verified national register of all assets recovered from Mr. Jammeh, detailing their current status, ownership arrangements, disposal outcomes, and revenues generated.
They argued that making such information publicly accessible would allow Gambians to determine what became of assets recovered after Mr. Jammeh left office and would help restore public confidence in the process.
Beyond the immediate controversy, the groups called for broader reforms to the government’s management of public property. Their proposals include digitizing public records, strengthening registries and oversight institutions, and creating a centralized, professionally managed authority responsible for asset recovery and management.
The organizations said those measures would reduce fragmentation among government institutions, improve record-keeping, and establish clearer lines of responsibility for assets seized or recovered by the state.
They also called for a formal mechanism to ensure that recommendations contained in the parliamentary report are carried out rather than left unimplemented.
“We call for the establishment of a structured implementation framework for the SSC recommendations, including clear timelines and designated responsible institutions,” Ms. Bah said.
The demands place renewed pressure on the government to account for the management and disposal of assets recovered from Mr. Jammeh, nearly a decade after his departure from power, and to demonstrate that any wrongdoing identified by the parliamentary inquiry will be investigated and addressed.
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