The United Democratic Party (UDP) has accused the Barrow administration of suppressing critical appendices from the Janneh Commission’s report on the disposal of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets, igniting a firestorm over transparency and accountability. The opposition’s claims directly challenge statements by Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, who asserted that the commission submitted no report on asset sales—a claim the UDP brands as “blatantly false.”
The Janneh Commission, established to investigate financial misconduct under Jammeh’s regime, referenced at least 20 appendices in its published volumes, none of which appear on the Ministry of Justice’s website. These include Appendix 1, detailing vehicle and tractor disposals with bank statements showing proceeds of D100,617,442.46 and US$498,481.25, Appendix 5, covering receivership reports and asset inventories, and other documents on valuations and auction records. The commission’s volumes explicitly state, for example, “The Receiver has since done a good job and the accounts they presented are attached hereto marked in Appendix 1.” Yet, the ministry has released only four volumes, omitting Volume 4 and all appendices, prompting allegations of selective disclosure.
The UDP argues that Dr. Ceesay’s denial of the existence of asset sale reports reflects gross negligence or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. “If the Minister is unaware of these documents, it exposes the Barrow administration’s failure to scrutinize the commission’s findings,” the party stated. “If he is aware, his statements are a calculated distortion to shield the government from accountability.” The absence of these appendices has fueled suspicions of a cover-up, particularly as investigative reports reveal that senior officials sold Jammeh’s assets, including luxury cars and livestock, at suspiciously low prices, often to political allies, while the commission was still active.
President Barrow’s admission that he was unaware of many transactions has further eroded confidence, highlighting a lack of oversight over the task force he authorized. The UDP contends that this opacity and apparent double standards undermine public trust in the administration’s commitment to justice.
In response, the UDP has issued a four-point demand: the immediate release of all appendices and Volume 4, an independent audit of asset sales free from executive interference, prosecution of officials involved in undervalued or unauthorized transactions, and a public apology from Dr. Ceesay for spreading misinformation. The party has launched the hashtag #WhereAreTheAppendices to rally public support, declaring, “Gambians deserve the full truth, not a government that throws the Janneh Commission under the bus to hide its own failures.”
As public outrage grows, the Barrow administration faces mounting pressure to disclose the missing documents and address allegations of mismanagement. The absence of the appendices continues to cast a shadow over the government’s transparency credentials, leaving many Gambians questioning whether the administration is concealing evidence of impropriety. With the UDP’s demands gaining traction, the call for accountability is louder than ever: the appendices must be made public.
