By Fatou Dahaba
Louis Prom, Advisory Partner at Augustus Prom, an auditing firm appointed as the initial receiver for the Janneh Commission in 2018, dropped a bombshell during his testimony before a special select committee on the sale and disposal of assets on Monday. Prom accused the former Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Baa Tambadou of interfering in the commission’s work, alleging undue pressure and a conflict of interest that complicated the firm’s receivership duties.
The Janneh Commission, established to investigate financial dealings and asset mismanagement, tasked Augustus Prom with overseeing the management of several hotels. Prom revealed that the firm faced significant challenges, including pressure from the former Attorney General, Tambadou, and Social Security, which sought to redirect the hotels to tourism-based companies despite existing legal constraints. “The former AG was not pleased with Augustus Prom for not transferring the BPI tourism hotels,” Prom testified, noting that these assets were entangled in legal disputes, including a High Court case between Social Security and BPI Investment Group, UAE, and a freeze by the Janneh Commission.
Prom recounted a contentious meeting with the commission where the firm’s 10% net profit on hotel management was challenged, with demands to reduce it to 3%. “At this juncture, I knew something was cooking,” Prom said, describing the atmosphere as suspicious and disappointing. He considered resigning, frustrated by what he perceived as unfair negotiations. “They knew who we were. They would have negotiated fairly,” he added, emphasizing that the hotels were profitable and improving under his firm’s management.
The situation escalated when Augustus Prom resisted handing over the hotels to new operators offering higher bids to Social Security. Prom alleged that the former AG was “quite invested” in terminating an ironclad lease signed with Romanian entities, which he described as nearly impossible to dissolve legally. He claimed Tambadou wrote to the firm, instructing them not to block Social Security’s motions, a move Prom cited as evidence of interference. “We couldn’t release the hotels to new operators. There were barriers we couldn’t bypass,” he explained, underscoring the legal complexities that hindered compliance.
Further complicating matters, Prom accused Amie Bensouda, the lead counsel for the Janneh Commission, of a conflict of interest. He revealed that Bensouda’s firm simultaneously represented Social Security, advocating for the transfer of the hotels while serving as the commission’s counsel. This dual role, Prom argued, undermined the impartiality of the inquiry.
The receivership began in 2018 and ended in June 2019 amid ongoing litigation and mounting pressure. Alpha Kapital Advisory eventually replaced Augustus Prom as the receiver. Prom highlighted the intense pressure from Social Security, which sought to prioritize tourism companies, as one of the biggest challenges during their tenure. “The hotels were stable, we were improving them, but we had no legal option to hand them over,” he said, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to adhering to legal protocols despite external demands.
Prom’s testimony raises serious questions about the integrity of the Janneh Commission’s processes and the role of key figures in influencing its outcomes. The allegations of interference by the former AG and a conflict of interest involving the lead counsel could cast a shadow over the commission’s findings and its handling of asset recovery.
As the special select committee continues its probe, Prom’s revelations are likely to spark further scrutiny into the management of Gambia’s assets and the transparency of the commission’s operations.
The committee is expected to call additional witnesses to corroborate or refute Prom’s claims, as the nation watches closely for answers on how its assets were handled during one of its most significant financial inquiries.
