By: Fatou Krubally
The former Secretary to the Janneh Commission, Ms. Ramatoulie Sarr, Tuesday denied knowledge of key reports on the sale of tractors linked to former President Yahya Jammeh.
She made the denial yesterday as she reappeared before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee probing the disposal of assets identified by the Janneh Commission.
During a tense exchange with the committee’s lead counsel, Lamin Dibba, Ms. Sarr insisted that despite being secretary at the time, she neither attended meetings discussing the tractor sales nor received reports detailing the activities of her subordinates who oversaw the auctions.
Mr. Dibba repeatedly challenged her stance, pointing out that as secretary she was the “custodian of files” and bore ultimate responsibility for documentation generated by her team. He argued that the reports, particularly RS34 and RS39, clearly showed her as a copied recipient, raising questions about her denial of awareness.
“You are the head of the secretariat. Whoever acts under the secretariat acts on your authority,” Dibba said firmly. “To say you were not part of this is disingenuous. If you don’t take responsibility, you risk being cited for contempt.”
Pressed further, Ms. Sarr admitted that she had asked her team about the report after their return from the sales exercise but maintained that they submitted directly to the commissioners and lead counsel rather than to her. She stressed that her attention was occupied with the commission’s public hearings, which coincided with the sales.
Committee members expressed frustration over what they described as evasive answers. Dibba highlighted discrepancies in her testimony, noting that although she claimed not to have seen the reports until recently, she had earlier admitted asking her subordinates about them during the period in question.
Figures cited during the session revealed that under one phase of the sales, 43 tractors yielded D10.5 million, while a later phase involving 102 tractors realized D13 million. Counsel Dibba questioned why the secretary had not probed the significant disparity in revenue, suggesting it was her duty to flag such issues.
Ms. Sarr, however, insisted that if the reports had been brought to her attention at the time, she would have raised questions.
The Committee continues its inquiry into how Jammeh’s assets including tractors, vehicles, and properties were managed and whether due accountability was followed. Tuesday’s hearing underscored lawmakers’ concern that lapses in oversight may have undermined the commission’s mandate to safeguard public resources.