By Fatou Dahaba
Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubacarr Marie Tambadou faced intense scrutiny on Monday during his final appearance before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee investigating the sale and disposal of assets identified by the Janneh Commission.
The committee, chaired by Abdoulie Ceesay, pressed Tambadou on why multiple copies of the Ministerial Task Force report – submitted by different members and the Ministry of Justice – were all unsigned, raising doubts about which version, if any, could be considered official.
“You have received the same report from various sources, yet none bear signatures,” a committee member observed. “Is there a signed version available?”
Tambadou maintained that the unsigned report accurately reflected the task force’s deliberations and decisions. He produced email exchanges showing that the draft had been circulated among members, who provided comments and indicated approval.
“The emails suggest it was basically unanimously adopted,” Tambadou told the committee. “It was presented as such in Cabinet, where the report was read page by page with the approval of all ministerial task force members.”
He recalled instructing the Secretary to the Cabinet to ensure members signed the document before formal submission, and insisted the version before the committee was authentic.
However, when confronted with claims from some task force members that they had never seen or signed the report, Tambadou expressed surprise and concern.
“I would be very concerned if any member said they have never seen this report,” he replied. “I would be very surprised… but the emails are there.”
Tambadou submitted the full email trail to the committee for verification, emphasising that Cabinet had formally adopted the report.
On a separate issue, Tambadou categorically denied knowledge of any land sales in the Tourism Development Area (TDA).
“Land in the TDA is not meant to be sold, whether by Cabinet decree or otherwise,” he stated. “Those lands are allocated solely for the promotion of tourism. I am not aware of any land that was sold – either by virtue of a Cabinet decision or otherwise – in the TDA area.”
Regarding the controversial sale of former President Yahya Jammeh’s aircraft, Tambadou distanced himself and the Ministry of Justice from the transaction.
“Neither the Ministry of Justice nor I was involved in the sale of the aircraft,” he said. “The Ministry of Finance handled that in collaboration with the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority.”
He added that he had advised the former Secretary General and the Finance Ministry that any aircraft or vehicles found on state property should be presumed state assets until proven otherwise.
The hearing continues as the committee seeks further clarification on the handling of assets recovered following the Janneh Commission’s findings into alleged financial misconduct during the Jammeh era.
