The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubacarr Tambadou has called on people who have received notices of adverse findings from the Janneh Commission to contact him or the Solicitor General in person or through authorized third parties, between 3rd and 8th June 2019.
A statement from the ministry did not name the names of those adversely mentioned or give reasons why they should contact the ministry.
“Following the conclusion of the work of the Commission of Inquiry into the financial activities of public bodies, enterprises and offices as regards their dealings with former President Yahya Jammeh, a number of adverse findings have been made by the Commission against certain individuals and companies who have been notified of these adverse findings,” the statement stated.
The Janneh Commission was set up by President Adama Barrow in July 2017 to probe into the financial dealings of ex-president Yahya Jammeh and his close associates from July 1994 to January 2017. The commission which submitted its report to the president in March, heard from 253 witnesses. It did not disclose the names of the witnesses who were adversely mentioned.
However, the commission found Jammeh had looted at least $363 million of public funds. According to Tambadou, the ex-president had stolen $304.7 million, 1.1 billion dalasi ($22.13 million), 29.5 million euros ($33.17 million) and 2.25 million British pounds ($2.94 million) from the central bank during his 22 years in power.
“The amount involved is vast. The quantity of landed properties involved is huge. It runs to over 300 landed properties throughout the length and breadth of the country. We have discovered a huge volume of corruption,” said Surahata Janneh, the Chairman of the Janneh Commission.
It is believed that some top government officials have been implicated in the report. An investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in March found that Jammeh and his associates looted or misappropriated at least $975 million in public funds and illicit timber revenue.
The government is expected to act on the Janneh Commission report within six months from March.
