Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Aboubacarr “Ba” Tambadou will deliver the concluding segment of his testimony on Monday, November 24, appearing remotely via video conference before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee. The session, set to resume at 10 a.m. local time, caps a series of hearings that have probed the post-Jammeh asset recovery saga, with Tambadou’s prior accounts already ‘exonerating’ him and fellow witness Amie Bensouda from earlier allegations of impropriety.
Established in July 2025 amid public outcry over undervalued sales of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh’s seized holdings—estimated at over D2 billion ($35 million) by the 2017-2019 Janneh Commission—the committee has scrutinized freezes, auctions, and disposals under the Barrow administration. Jammeh’s 22-year reign amassed luxury vehicles, prime properties, and business stakes through corruption and money laundering, with the commission urging full forfeiture. Yet, critics decry fire-sale auctions of sedans for fractions of value and cross-border cattle smuggling, questioning procedural lapses and lost revenues.
Tambadou, who helmed the Justice Ministry from 2017 to 2021 before ascending to Registrar of the UN’s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, has been a pivotal figure in the country’s transitional justice processes. His September in-person appearances, spanning three days, painted a vivid picture of transitional chaos: post-Jammeh’s January 2017 exile, the fledgling government balanced averting civil war with symbolic justice.
Tambadou defended transparency and competence in receiver appointments, dismissing claims of conflict of interest.
“We prioritized integrity over haste, guided by planning, preparation, and personnel,” he asserted.
Recent committee deliberations, as reported last week, have ‘vindicated’ Tambadou and Bensouda—Janneh’s lead counsel, citing their “clear, detailed, and consistent” evidence against “conjecture.”
With the probe’s 120-day mandate expiring soon, Chair Abdoulie Ceesay anticipates a year-end report that could recommend reforms or sanctions, testing President Adama Barrow’s anti-corruption pledges ahead of the 2026 elections. Tambadou’s virtual finale, necessitated by his international duties, is expected to shed more light on the modus operandi of the Janneh commission and its report.
