Over a billion dalasis is recuperated from the auctioning of former president Yaya Jammeh’s assets, it emerges.
The former military-turned civilian rulers’ assets were frozen by an order on the recommendation of Janneh Commission – a task-force probing into the financial dealings of Jammeh throughout his time in power.
Assets purportedly belonging to the now 56-year-old, some of it reportedly seized especially lands, were also unearthed by the investigating body.
In probing spanning from July 2017, a total amount of one billion, one hundred and ten million, two hundred and thirty-nine thousand and two hundred and twenty-seven dalasis, have been gained.
The figures were revealed today by Gambia’s justice minister Ba Tambadou after a question raised by Serrekunda lawmaker Halifa Sallah.
“…Our records at the ministry of justice indicate that a total cost one hundred and sixteen million, nine hundred and nine thousand and seventy-seven dalasis associated with the Janneh Commission recovery effort, between July 2017 and June 2020, we have recovered a total amount of one billion, one hundred and ten million, two hundred and thirty-nine thousand and two hundred and twenty-seven dalasis net,” he said.
An addition 88 million and 535,000 dalasis is “committed” but remains “outstanding” with all recovered sums paid to Gambia’s Central Bank excluding the 50 million dalasis paid recently to Jammeh’s Victims Funds.
The figures, it is revealed, includes sale of assets payments by persons red-flagged by the probing set up and monies gotten from the task-force’s works.
“I’m proud to say that even at the early stage of this recovery, this is by far the most successful asset recovery exercise undertaken in this country. With just over eleven percent of just the properties sold, we have almost reached the one billion target. We had expected to generate from the sale of all the properties forfeited to the state and have already surpass this figure in our overall asset recovery effort. A full report of the process will be generated to the government together with an audit report of the entire process at the end of the exercise,” Tambadou said.
Jammeh left Gambia after losing the 2016 polls but refused to give up power before regional bloc Ecowas soldiers ensured his exit to Equatorial Guinea where he lives in exile.
