By Sainabou Sambou
The criminal trial of former Minister of Lands, Sheriff Abba Sanyang, and six co-accused persons continued at the High Court in Banjul on Monday, with fresh testimony shedding light on the management of lands forfeited from former President Yahya Jammeh.
The prosecution’s first witness, Buba Sanyang, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, who previously served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands from 2017 to 2023, took the stand. He acted as supervisor and technical adviser during his tenure at the Lands Ministry.
The witness told the court that in 2022, several properties forfeited to the state on the recommendations of the Janneh Commission were reviewed by ministerial and technical committees. Some land was returned to its original owners, while the state retained others for planning purposes.
He noted that the forfeiture exercise affected numerous communities, including Kassa Kunda, Brufut, Sifoe, and Jambur, with an estimated 100 communities involved nationwide. Ministry records showed that some lands were donated or sold to former President Jammeh, though allegations also existed of seizures without consent. The witness confirmed seeing evidence of both donations and sales.
Buba Sanyang cited the return of the CSC land in Brufut to the community after the state determined it had no interest in it. He added that approximately 40 percent of forfeited lands in Brufut and Sifoe were returned through administrative processes. He further confirmed that the Ministry received and granted a request from Kassa Kunda for the return of their land.
According to the indictment, former Lands Minister Sheriff Abba Sanyang (first accused) faces charges of abuse of office for allegedly approving the retention of 40 percent of the forfeited Jammeh land in Kassa Kunda in 2022. He is also charged with giving false information to a public servant regarding the land.
The second to seventh accused — Cherno Serending Sabally, Kalilu Sanyang, Bakary Gomez, Bakary Sanneh, Lamin Sabally, and Malang Jarju — face multiple counts of criminal trespass. Prosecutors allege they unlawfully entered the forfeited land in Kassa Kunda and attempted to sell portions to private companies.
They are further accused of obtaining money by false pretense, after allegedly claiming that the Kassa Kunda Village Development Committee owned the land and selling parts of it to various buyers for large sums, with the total amount involved reported in some accounts as around D13.1 million.
All seven accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was previously granted by the court, with Sheriff Abba Sanyang released on D1 million and the others on D2.2 million each.
Presiding over the case was Justice Ebrima Jaiteh. State counsel S.L. Jobarteh represented the prosecution, while Lawyer Lamin J. Darboe appeared for the second to seventh accused.
The case was adjourned to Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. for continuation of the hearing.
