Justice Minister Discloses Sale of Ex-President Jammeh’s Properties Surpass One Billion Dalasis
By Ramatoulie Jawo
Honorable Dawda A. Jallow, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, disclosed to the members of the Nation Assembly that the collective worth of movable and immovable assets and equities previously owned by Former President Jammeh amounted to One billion two hundred and forty million and fifty thousand five hundred and ninety-three dalasis (D1, 240, 52,593).
This revelation was made by the honorable minister during a session at the National Assembly in response to inquiries raised by honorable Almamy Gibba. The questions posed sought detailed information regarding the total sales of various assets linked to Former President Yahya AJJ Jammeh, encompassing land assets, Vision 2016 Rice, livestock (cows, sheep, and camels), machinery (tractors), vehicles (cars and trucks), furniture, gold, and any other valuable assets associated with Jammeh, including specifics on total sales, names of buyers, and the price of each asset sold.
“The Sale of 36 properties was conducted in three separate phases. The number of Movable properties sold is 36; the number of vehicles sold is 6; and the total amount of movable and immovable properties and equities sold is One billion two hundred and forty million and fifty thousand five hundred and ninety-three dalasis (D1, 240, 52,593),” minister Jallow disclosed.
He elaborated that the process of selling these properties commenced in March 2019 following the submission of the Janneh Commission’s report, which was subsequently accepted by the government. A ministerial task force, along with a technical team, was established to oversee the sale of forfeited properties belonging to Jammeh and his associates, as recommended by the Janneh Commission.
“In September 2019, in accordance with Section 203 of the 1997 Constitution, the white paper was gazetted. The ministerial task force, comprised of ministers of justice, Local Government, lands, Tourism and Culture, and Agriculture, was established. This task force, supported by a technical team including the Solicitor General and permanent Secretaries for the relevant ministries, were task with the deciding on the fate of the forfeited properties of former president Jammeh and his associates as recommended by the Janneh Commission,” he said.
He stated that In July 2019, Alpha Capital Advisory took over as the receiver to liquidate properties identified for sale by the inter-ministerial task force.
“The Properties earmarked for sale included 44 belonging to President Jammeh, 15 forfeited to the state from Baba K. Jobe and 7 properties from General Saul Badjie. 11 properties were considered reserved for potential government use. The Sale process involves close bids, with reserved prices determined through valuations by independent professional valuers,” he said.
To ensure transparency and widespread participation, a dedicated website was launched, and advertisements were published in newspapers. The auction took place in three phases, with details made accessible online, and bidding forms available at designated locations. Successful bidders received formal letters outlining the property details, bid amounts, and payment deadlines.
“The Auction was conducted in phases. Phase one is the 4th of September 2019, phase two on the 7th of October 2019, and phase three is November 18, 2019. To encourage participation, the auction details were available online. Bidding forms were accessible at a designated office. Successful bidders received formal letters detailing property, bid amount, and saving-based payment deadline,” he said.
Minister Jallow acknowledged challenges faced by purchasers, which were promptly addressed by the Attorney General’s office, leading to cancellations and refunds in certain cases. Notably, properties with occupants were handled with eviction notices issued to allow for a smooth transition.
“Notable refunds were issued for Hamza Barracks, No. 26 Buckle Street and Yundum Citrus Products due to property retention, financial constraints and delays in land dimension confirmation. For the properties sold but with occupants, Eviction notices of at least 6 months were issued to allow for smooth transition for vacant position,” he said.
He stated that the commission was not involved in the rice sales; rather, the cattle and sheep were sold by the Sheriff as per the commission’s directive, yielding a total of approximately D8 million in sales.
The tractors were sold by the Janneh Commission, and the proceeds were deposited into the asset recovery account at the Central Bank. Furniture remains at Jammeh’s Kanilai residence, with no gold recovery reported.
During the session, Hon. Gibba queried the minister about the quantity and types of animals sold. In response, the minister explained that obtaining such information was challenging as the sales occurred during the commission’s tenure, which has since concluded.
“If this Assembly is interested in that, maybe you can do a parliamentary inquiry, but I did my best efforts to recover that data, but we were not able to get it,” he said.