Gambia Lawmakers Call for Probe Into Ex Justice Minister Over Jammeh Asset Sales

A special select committee of The Gambia’s National Assembly has recommended that criminal investigations be launched into former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubacarr M. Tambadou over his role in the management and disposal of assets recovered from former President Yahya Jammeh.

The parliamentary inquiry, which examined the handling of public assets identified by the Janneh Commission, concluded that Tambadou presided over “systematic and deliberate violations of the Public Finance Act 2014.” The committee urged the executive to initiate investigations through the police under the supervision of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Tambadou is alleged to have abused his office and committed economic crimes, according to the report. The inquiry was mandated to establish a comprehensive account of how assets – including land, vehicles, livestock, aircraft, funds, and other properties – were managed, preserved, and sold following their recovery from Jammeh’s administration.

The Janneh Commission had previously investigated the financial dealings of public institutions and enterprises during Jammeh’s tenure, identifying large volumes of assets connected to the former president. Evidence presented to the parliamentary committee showed that the Ministry of Justice, under Tambadou, led the ministerial taskforce responsible for disposing of recovered assets, particularly landed properties.

The committee also examined the exclusion of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs from the inter-ministerial taskforce. Then-Finance Minister Mambury Njie was reportedly sidelined due to potential conflict-of-interest concerns, though the committee said it never received formal cabinet documentation confirming this decision. Njie had repeatedly raised objections to how the recovered assets were being managed, warning in a letter dated November 1, 2019, that proceeds from asset sales were being deposited into a commercial bank account rather than the government’s consolidated fund.

Concerns were also raised over the legal frameworks – or lack thereof – governing the sale of recovered landed properties. The committee noted that several transactions appeared to have been conducted without clear statutory guidance, heightening the risk of mismanagement.

The report marks a significant step in Gambia’s ongoing efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of state assets following Jammeh’s controversial administration.