By: Fatou Krubally
The General Manager of the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC), Seedy Kanyi, has admitted to a “knee-jerk reaction” in his initial response to a National Assembly summons, failing to provide key documents related to the Janneh Commission’s investigation into former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets.
Kanyi was testifying on Monday before the Special Select Committee on the Sale and Disposal of Assets Identified by the Janneh Commission. He acknowledged that his office had earlier claimed GTSC had no dealings or records relating to the Commission’s activities, an assertion he later contradicted by submitting a batch of relevant documents.
The GTSC boss told lawmakers that upon receiving the July 8 summons, his focus was “mainly on the sale of the vehicles,” which dominated public discourse. He explained that a previous 18-month absence from office created a “blackout” in his understanding of the matter. He said no proper handover took place when he resumed duty, and the original correspondence with the Janneh Commission dated as far back as December 2017 had not been flagged to him.
Under questioning from the committee’s lead counsel, Kanyi admitted that GTSC initially made only a “loose attempt” to retrieve the requested documents, which were eventually located only after investigators showed him a copy of one of the Commission’s letters.
“I must confess it is refreshing to hear that you admit that there was a lapse on your end,” the counsel noted, though he pressed Kanyi on whether such a delay undermined the committee’s work.
Kanyi later provided multiple documents, including letters from the Janneh Commission, assessment reports, and official correspondences authored by GTSC engineers. However, he conceded that the committee’s mandate had been impeded due to the delay.
Kanyi expressed regret and reaffirmed his commitment to fully cooperate with the National Assembly moving forward. “If it caused any inconvenience, I apologise,” he said, accepting that the initial letter from GTSC had wrongly stated the company had “never held, purchased, or been a party to any arrangement involving former President Jammeh’s assets.”
The committee continues its inquiry into the handling and disposal of assets seized from the former president, following revelations of widespread financial mismanagement during his tenure.