Gambia probes sale of ex-leader's luxury cars, cows and boats

The Gambian government is investigating the sale of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh. This follows public concern over the sales.

Some assets, like livestock and luxury vehicles, were sold while investigations continued. A newspaper investigation revealed irregularities and a lack of transparency in these sales. This sparked protests organized by young people.

In a televised address, President Adama Barrow promised "full transparency" in the investigation. He stated that the recovered assets "belong to the people."

Jammeh seized power in a 1994 coup. He is accused of stealing large amounts of government funds and committing human rights abuses against critics. After losing elections in 2017, he fled to Equatorial Guinea but has denied any wrongdoing.

In 2017, President Barrow established a commission to investigate Jammeh's corruption during his rule. The Janneh commission concluded its findings in 2019 and recommended forfeiting assets linked to Jammeh and his associates.

The investigation found that Jammeh allegedly stole at least $360 million (£270 million). He spent lavishly on expensive vehicles, aircraft, and real estate. His supporters have dismissed these findings as a political witch hunt.

Among the seized assets were livestock, farm tractors, vehicles, and other valuables. In 2019, President Barrow authorized a task force to oversee reclaiming these assets with regular cabinet updates.

A recent report accused senior officials of selling assets to themselves at below market value. This report went viral on social media and led to protests in Banjul. Dozens were arrested but later released.

Due to public pressure, the government published a list of sold assets. This included some luxury cars, livestock, boats, construction equipment, household goods, land parcels, and heavy machinery.

However, some luxury cars like Jammeh's customized Rolls Royce and Bentley were missing from this list. It remains unclear if they were sold or shipped out with him when he left for Equatorial Guinea.

The list caused further outrage over suspiciously low sale prices for valuable items. The justice ministry stated that all sales followed a "legally grounded process." They claimed the government acted within the law and in public interest.

In his address on Wednesday night, Barrow mentioned discussing sales details at a cabinet meeting earlier that week. He noted that parliament and the National Audit Office are conducting parallel inquiries into this matter.

Barrow assured that their findings would be made public. His government will enforce recommendations to hold accountable anyone found culpable for wrongdoing related to national resources.

He urged Gambians to remain calm but warned against negligence or wrongdoing involving national resources. Activists and opposition parties have expressed distrust towards parliament's ability to conduct an impartial investigation.

Opposition MP Yayah Sanyang called for an independent probe due to concerns about ruling party loyalty within parliament. The Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice demanded accountability from Barrow regarding asset sales.

In 2022, the US seized a mansion in Maryland linked to Jammeh’s corruption proceeds. The US Justice Department reported that Jammeh acquired at least 281 properties during his time in office and operated over 100 private bank accounts.