Rédaction Africa Links 24 with babucarr balajo
Published on 2024-03-21 09:25:00
The Minister of Justice has recently disclosed that a total of 44 properties belonging to the former president, Yahya Jammeh, along with 15 properties forfeited from Baba Jobe and seven from General Saul Badjie, have been earmarked for sale. This information was revealed in response to a parliamentary question posed by Foñi Kansala lawmaker Almamy Gibba, who sought comprehensive details regarding the sale of Jammeh’s assets, including ‘Vision 2016’ rice, livestock, vehicles, furniture, gold, and other valuables, as well as the names of buyers and sale prices for each item.
After the submission of the Janneh Commission report in March 2019, the government released a whitepaper that was subsequently gazetted. A ministerial task force was then established to determine the fate of the forfeited properties, with Alpha Capital Advisory taking over as the receiver to liquidate the properties identified for sale by the committee.
The properties slated for sale include 44 owned by former president Jammeh, 15 forfeited from Baba Jobe, and seven from General Saul Badjie, with an additional 11 properties set aside for potential government use. The sale process involved closed bids, with reserved prices determined by independent, professional valuers. Bidding forms were made available at a designated office, and successful bidders were issued formal letters detailing the property bid amounts and payment deadlines.
Challenges faced by purchasers were promptly addressed, leading to cancellations and refunds in certain instances, such as for Hamza Barracks, No. 26 Buckle Street, and Yundum Citrus Products company. Total sales of movable and immovable properties, along with equities, amounted to D1,240,052,593, which included the sale of six vehicles.
The Janneh Commission did not oversee the sale of rice, livestock, or sheep, as those items were sold by the sheriff of the high court under the commission’s instruction, totaling around D8 million. Tractors were sold by the commission, with proceeds deposited into the Assets Recovery Account at the Central Bank. Furniture located at Jammeh’s residence in Kanilai was also sold, but no gold was recovered.
The sale process was conducted meticulously, with transparency and accountability at the forefront of the government’s efforts to liquidate the assets of former president Jammeh and others. This initiative marks a crucial step towards recovering misappropriated public funds and restoring accountability within the Gambian political landscape.
Read the original article on The Standard
