By Abdelkarim Jaiteh
The family of late Baba Jobe, the majority leader and national assembly member for Jarra west have strongly reacted to the report recently published by the Janneh Commission which was established to investigate the financial dealings of the exiled former president Yahya Jammeh, close associates and family members.
The commission last week published its final adverse findings report were scores of institutions and former public officials including senior government officials and close associates of the exiled former president Yahya Jammeh have been indicted by the commission.
Individuals adversely mentioned as bearing responsibility for civil and criminal liabilities in the report include President Jammeh and wife Zineb Souma-Jammeh, former vice president Isatou Njie-Saidy, former secretary generals Njogu Bah and Momodou Sabally; former ministers Yankuba Touray, Edward Singhatey, Ebou Jallow (AFPRC junta spokesman), Ismaila Sambou, Manlafy Jarju, Fatou Mas Jobe, Kebba Touray, Sira Wally Ndow-Njai and Momodou Aki Bayo; former cabinet secretary Noah Touray, former head of the Republican National Guard Lt General Sulayman Badjie, brother of former president Ansumana Jammeh and chief of protocol to Presidents Jammeh and Barrow, Alhagie Ousman Ceesay.
In a Commission report recent report published in a local newspaper, it was alleged that the former Jarra West lawmaker and the second most powerful at the time, withdrew US$5million from the Central Bank of The Gambia.
Reacting to the report, Ebrima Jobe, a brother to the late Jarra west lawmaker slammed the report as “totally unfounded and misleading,” noting that the commission is bias in its finding and its integrity most be questioned.
The late Jarra west parliamentarian was a closed ally of the exiled former president Yahya Jammeh whose assets were seized by Jammeh when they fell out in early 2000s.
Mr Jobe who was charged with economic crime and sentenced to ten-year jail terms after he was found guilty by the high court, died in his hospital bed by choking him to death by Jammeh’s infamous hit squad known as junglers under the directive of Jammeh.
The brother who claimed they have reached the limit of their patient over the seizure of their brother’s assets explained: “Baba never withdrew any money from the central bank to purchase Kairaba beach hotel as mentioned before the commission by certain witnesses. All the monies withdrawn by my brother were his hard-earn-money which he worked for when he was in Libya. It was this reason when he fell out with Jammeh and was jailed, the late Libyan leader Momar Gadhafi came to Banjul to negotiate with Jammeh for the release of my brother. Gadhafi was ready to pay any amount my brother was accused of stealing, but Jammeh refused because he [Jammeh] knew he had nothing against my brother. In fact, the one who was probing into the sale of Kairaba beach hotel, the Commission Counsel, Amie Bensouda was involved in that transaction, so how do you expect justice from that investigation.?”
Last month, the Janneh Commission asked the widow of Mr Jobe to write a statement regarding the forfeited assets of her late husband.
Meanwhile the Jobe family have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal challenging the adverse findings and recommendations made by the commission but the matter was adjourned to next month when the court resumes from vacation.
So far during the investigation of the Janneh Commission, it was discovered by the commission that 23 properties of Mr Baba Kajali Jobe were seized by Jammeh.
The family have also raised concern over the seizure of the cattle and vehicles believed to be the properties of their brother.
“We are tired and fade up with the decision of the government because since the forfeiture of our brother’s assets, still now some of his properties are occupied by Jammeh’s relatives which we demand an explanation from the government,” the aggrieved brother demanded.