National Assembly Committee Unable to Verify Deposits of $740,000 from Sale of State Aircraft

By Fatou Sillah

A Special Select Committee of The Gambia’s National Assembly investigating the sale and disposal of assets linked to former president Yahya Jammeh says it has been unable to confirm where part of the proceeds from the sale of several state-owned aircraft—amounting to $740,000—were deposited.

In its report, the committee raised concerns about transparency and record-keeping in the handling of funds generated from the disposal of government aircraft previously identified by the Janneh Commission.

According to the committee, two Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft were sold on 11 May 2018 to West African Aero Services for a total of $240,000.

“Both Air Tractors, which were registered in the Gambia Civil Aviation Register under the ownership of the Government of The Gambia, were sold for $240,000, and the proceeds of the sale were paid into the ‘Asset Recovery from Janneh Commission’ account at the Central Bank of The Gambia,” the report stated.

The committee further revealed that three additional aircraft were later sold to Sankajula Holding Company Limited for $500,000 under specific conditions requiring the buyer to remove the aircraft from Banjul International Airport within three months of completing the transaction.

“The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs confirmed that subsequently three additional aircraft were sold for $500,000 to Sankajula Holding Company Limited under very specific terms that the said aircraft be removed from the airport within three months of the finalisation of the sale,” the committee noted.

However, the report indicates that two of the aircraft sold under this arrangement remain parked at Banjul International Airport.

More significantly, the committee said it was unable to determine where the proceeds from the $500,000 sale were deposited. “The committee could not determine where the proceeds of the sale were deposited,” he said.

During his testimony before the committee, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy Keita, was requested to review ministry records and provide clarification on the destination of the funds. According to the report, the minister has yet to submit the requested information.

The committee also raised questions about another aircraft mentioned in the Janneh Commission report. At the time the Commission of Inquiry inspected the airport in 2017, the aircraft had been sent to Germany for maintenance.

The report states that the aircraft has remained in Germany for nearly a decade, with limited information available regarding its status.

“To this day, the said aircraft remains in Germany, and the conditions under which it continues to be held there are unclear to the committee,” the report said.

In its recommendations, the committee called for stronger transparency measures in the disposal of public assets. It urged that all future sales of state property be publicly advertised through widely circulated media platforms to promote accountability.

The committee also directed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to submit a comprehensive report on the aircraft still in Germany. The report should explain why the aircraft remains there, its current market value, all maintenance and related costs paid by the government since it was sent abroad, and any outstanding maintenance fees owed by the state.