By Fatou Dahaba
Justice Minister and Attorney General Dawda Jallow has committed to locating and submitting crucial correspondence that was omitted from documents earlier provided to the National Assembly’s special committee investigating the sale and disposal of former President Jammeh’s assets and implementation of the Janneh Commission recommendations.
The missing letter, written by then-Finance Minister to the Attorney General’s Chambers, reportedly warned that excluding the Ministry of Finance from the ministerial task force on the Government White Paper could lead to financial losses and loss of institutional knowledge for the State.
Testifying virtually, during Wednesday’s session – the final public hearing before the committee drafts its report – members expressed concern that no such correspondence appeared among hundreds of files submitted by the Ministry of Justice.
Committee counsel pointed out that the letter, which the panel had independently obtained, raised “serious questions” about inter-ministerial coordination and the deliberate sidelining of the Finance Ministry from decisions on asset recovery and disposal.
When pressed on the omission, Minister Jallow responded: “These are the same questions I ask myself as to the absence of the Ministry of Finance in the task force. At that stage, I did not see the letter; I only received oral explanations about disagreements between the two ministries. I take full responsibility for the commission.”
He explained that the correspondence might have been filed under confidential ministerial exchanges or within separate Janneh Commission archives, and possibly escaped the search conducted when the summons was received.
“I personally oversaw the retrieval of all Janneh Commission files,” Jallow told the committee, adding that the volume and complexity of records meant some documents could have been inadvertently placed in unrelated files, including those still held by the Ministry of Finance.
The Attorney General assured members that a fresh search would be conducted immediately and that any relevant documents would be delivered before the committee finalises its findings.
On progress in asset recovery, Minister Jallow confirmed at least one enforcement action – a termination notice issued against a non-performing property purchaser that was later cured – while several cases remain before the courts. He disclosed that the Cabinet has suspended a planned fourth phase of asset sales pending a review of which properties should be retained for government use and to avoid prejudicing the ongoing parliamentary inquiry.
Committee members welcomed the minister’s undertaking, describing the missing letter as “central” to understanding systemic lapses in the task force structure.
The special select committee is expected to table its report before the National Assembly adjourns next month.
