The National Assembly of The Gambia established a Special Select Committee in May 2025 to investigate how assets linked to former president Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh were handled following the Janneh Commission’s investigations. The committee aimed to determine whether the state managed these assets lawfully, transparently, and in the public interest.
Over several months, the committee conducted dozens of sittings, hearing testimony from more than seventy witnesses from key government institutions, including the Ministries of Finance and Justice. It also examined extensive documentation, including bank records, contracts, court orders, and government correspondence, and visited sites associated with the former president’s holdings.
The investigation covered a broad range of assets: land and buildings, businesses, vehicles, aircraft, bank accounts, and livestock. The committee traced how these assets were preserved, valued, and ultimately sold or transferred. It found widespread weaknesses: responsibilities were fragmented across multiple institutions, record-keeping was inconsistent or incomplete, and enforcement of court orders meant to safeguard the assets was often ineffective.
Particularly concerning were irregularities in the management and sale of livestock and other properties, raising the risk of losses to the state. Oversight mechanisms created to implement the Janneh Commission’s recommendations—such as ministerial task forces and technical committees—were frequently ineffective due to poor coordination. Instances of witnesses providing misleading information or interfering with evidence further hampered the investigation.
The committee concluded that, while the initial seizure of assets was appropriate, subsequent management and disposal lacked clarity, transparency, and accountability. To address these failures, the report recommends establishing a centralized digital registry of state assets, conducting nationwide audits, strengthening legal and procedural frameworks, and improving inter-agency coordination.
These reforms aim to safeguard public assets, enhance transparency, and prevent similar administrative lapses in future asset recovery efforts in The Gambia.
