By Landing Colley
Abubacarr Tambadou, minister of Justice and Attorney General has disclosed over GMD 1 billion dalasis has been made out of the 11% of the properties of ex-President Yhaya Jammeh sold.
He told lawmakers: “as 15 June 2020 the total of cost D116, 909.077(one hundred and sixteen million, nine thousand, and seven dalasi) is associated with the Janneh commission recovery effort between July 2017 and June 2020, that they recovered a total amount of D1, 110,233.227 net (one billion and one hundred and ten million and two hundred and thirty-nine thousand and two hundred and twenty-seven dalasi net).”
He added that “an additional amount of D88, 535, 00 net (eighty-eight million and five hundred and thirty-five-thousand-dalasi net) committed but still outstanding.”
According to him, all the recoveries have been paid into a designated special recoveries account at the central Bank of the Gambia under control of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs expect an amount of D50, 000,00 (fifty million dalasi) which has been paid directly to TRRC Victim’s Trust fund as government initial contribution to fund.
On Jammeh’s properties
He said: “ministerial Taskforce consisting of Justice, Lands, Tourism, and Agriculture) has initially identifies sale of 44 properties belonging to former president Jammeh, 15 properties that belonged to Baba K. Jobe which were forfeited to the state after his conviction in 2004, but taken over by president Jammeh and 7 properties that belonged to General Saul Badjie.”
He said 11 properties were identified for government use and the taskforce did not take a decision on some other properties pending an inspection of the properties which is yet to take place.
He revealed that there are 281 properties all together and the reason why its 288 is because they included the property of General Saul Badjie the list of the other assets but some are not yet sold out.
“I would like to drew the assembly’s attention that there may be issue of privacy right in respect of the identity of the purchasers of the properties who may have a right to keep their commercial transaction private and we should all endeavour to respect that,” he said.
