Registrar of Companies Testifies Alpha Kapital Has Not Been Filing Tax Returns

By Fatou Sillah

Marie Therese Gomez, the Registrar of Companies, has testified before the National Assembly Select Committee investigating the sale and disposal of assets belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh. During her testimony, she disclosed that Alpha Kapital Advisory, a company co-owned by Alpha Barry—the appointed receiver of Jammeh’s assets—has not been filing its tax returns.

“From the look of things, well, it would appear that he has not been filing his tax returns,” she said.

Responding to questions from committee member Hon. Omar Jammeh of Janjanbureh, Gomez said she had not seen any record of tax filings or correspondence from Alpha Kapital in the Registrar’s office. She added that she could not confirm whether any had been submitted in the past.

When asked whether her office had received a notification from Alpha Kapital regarding Barry’s appointment as receiver, Gomez explained that she was not yet the registrar at the time such a letter should have been received. However, Hon. Jammeh dismissed this as an insufficient explanation, stating that the office—not the individual—was responsible for maintaining such records.

“For me, I have not made any efforts to follow up with him, understanding that it is a normal requirement for a receiver to notify your office about his or her appointment,” Gomez admitted.

She further explained that inconsistencies in company names within the corporate registry have made it difficult to accurately track Alpha Kapital’s records. Gomez outlined that once a company is incorporated, any subsequent changes—such as a name change or board resolutions—must be accompanied by a new name reservation and updated documentation, including amended memoranda.

The committee also questioned whether the list of companies submitted by the registrar included any mining firms linked to Jammeh or his associates. Gomez responded that she would need to review the relevant memoranda or certificates of incorporation to confirm such details.

At one point, Hon. Jammeh accused the witness of withholding information from the committee.

“Honorable, what benefit will I derive from concealing evidence or whatsoever, knowing the nature of this committee and what your mandate is? What benefit will I derive from that?” Gomez retorted.

The committee directed Gomez to provide the names of all mining companies associated with Jammeh and their registered owners at a later date.