By Fatou Dahaba
A parliamentary select committee has raised sharp concerns over the handling and disposal of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh, highlighting suspiciously low reserve prices, glaring valuation discrepancies, and systemic failures in the auction process.
In a detailed report tabled before the National Assembly, the committee scrutinizing the sale and disposal of assets identified by the Janneh Commission of Inquiry expressed alarm that reserve prices for several of Jammeh’s vehicles and tractors appeared inconsistent with reasonable market valuations. The committee suggested these anomalies could stem from either deliberate undervaluation or fundamental flaws in the valuation exercise conducted under the commission established after Jammeh’s ouster in 2017.
The Janneh Commission, tasked with probing financial misconduct during Jammeh’s 22-year rule, uncovered widespread misappropriation and recommended the forfeiture of assets—including hundreds of vehicles, tractors, aircraft, and other properties—to the state. While some disposals aimed to recover funds for the public purse, the parliamentary review uncovered troubling patterns in how these assets were sold.
A standout example cited in the report is the January 23, 2019, auction of a Hyundai Santa Fe (registration M59), which sold to buyer Edrissa Cham for D1,000,000 despite a reserve price of just D4,000. This resulted in a staggering 24,900% premium over the reserve. While competitive bidding could explain a high final price, the committee described the combination of an “implausibly low reserve” and the exceptional sale amount as statistically anomalous, warranting independent verification. The report noted that receipt records alone do not establish Cham’s identity or background, raising further questions about transparency.
Additional red flags include duplicated receipt numbers—such as 3535693 assigned to two separate lots (a “motor car” and a “Pegaso Truck M151”) and 3579507 linked to different items—pointing to poor record-keeping or potential irregularities.
The committee also highlighted the concentration of purchases: the top five buyers accounted for the majority of proceeds, with Jah Oil Company alone securing 23 lots across multiple auctions. These included high-value items like a J4500 Super Luxury Coach for D2,885,000, generators worth D700,000, and various containers and machinery.
The report traced the asset management process from initial inventories. A preliminary nationwide exercise by the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Finance identified 94 vehicles from the previous regime and 8 from the current government, which were placed under a freezing order. A subsequent Janneh Commission inventory verified records and categorized assets, determining that 33 vehicles from TK Motors—linked to Jammeh’s APRC party—were state-owned, purchased with public funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Despite these efforts, the committee criticized significant gaps in distinguishing state-owned from personally owned assets, leading to improper disposals. Auction processes lacked robust buyer identification, anti-money laundering safeguards, and proper oversight of cash handling. Initial structured procedures in Phase One were disrupted by external interventions, causing delays and asset deterioration. Phase Two exhibited weaknesses, including inconsistent buyer protocols, lax custody, and unauthorized vehicle withdrawals.
Overall, the inquiry concluded there were “serious deficiencies in asset management and accountability” throughout the disposal process.
To address these issues, the committee recommended restructuring the Office of the Government Vehicle Controller by transferring it to a designated ministry, such as the Ministry of Finance, with a clearly defined mandate for inventory, documentation, and reporting. It called for streamlined reporting to eliminate overlapping authorities, standardized file references, vehicle movement registers, digitization of records, staff training, periodic independent audits, certified baseline inventories for future disposals, enhanced auction safeguards, and formal financial management of proceeds.
The findings underscore ongoing challenges in recovering and managing assets linked to Jammeh’s era, amid broader efforts to promote transparency and accountability in Gambian public administration.
