By Alieu Ceesay
Gambia Participates, a prominent civil society organization, has launched a comprehensive training program targeting law enforcement, financial institutions, and anti-corruption bodies to combat illicit financial flows and enhance asset recovery efforts in The Gambia. Held at a local hotel, the initiative aims to equip participants with the tools and knowledge to tackle financial misconduct and promote state accountability.
The capacity-building program focuses on deepening expertise in investigating and reporting illicit financial flows while exploring legal frameworks for recovering misappropriated assets. With corruption and financial integrity under increasing scrutiny, the training seeks to empower civil society leaders, security officials, and banking professionals to address these complex challenges effectively.
Alasan Sowe, Program Assistant at Gambia Participates, underscored the urgent need for asset recovery legislation. “Without specific laws, recovering misappropriated assets is nearly impossible,” Sowe told reporters. “We’re training institutions and grassroots communities to foster nationwide awareness and action.” The program has expanded to include participants nationwide, reflecting its commitment to broad-based engagement.
Sowe highlighted the public’s growing awareness of corruption and unrecovered assets from the former government of Yahya Jammeh, yet noted the absence of legal mechanisms to address these issues. Gambia Participates has advocated for legislative reforms, including tabling private member bills like the Anti-Corruption Bill before the National Assembly.
While many participants, including security and bank officials, declined to comment due to official restrictions, one attendee, speaking anonymously, expressed optimism: “This training will enhance my understanding of asset recovery and build my capacity to fight corruption.”
The lack of asset recovery laws remains a contentious issue, recently reignited by arrests of activists demanding transparency in selling state properties linked to Jammeh. A list of recovered assets revealed that tractors, potentially vital for agriculture, were sold for as little as D100,000. Controversially, the government distributed donkeys to farmers last year after selling these tractors, which critics argue undermines President Adama Barrow’s pledge to modernize agriculture.
Gambia Participates’ training marks a critical step toward strengthening institutional and societal resilience against financial misconduct, as the nation grapples with the legacy of corruption and the urgent need for robust legal frameworks.
