By: Sainabou Sambou
A senior civil servant told the High Court on Tuesday that, to his knowledge, former Lands Minister Sheriff Abba Sanyang did not abuse his office in the allocation of lands previously owned by ex-President Yahya Jammeh and later forfeited to the State.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh presided over the resumed hearing in Banjul, which had faced earlier delays. The court heard the conclusion of testimony from Mr Buba Sanyang, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries and former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands.
State Counsel A. Gibba led the witness through his evidence-in-chief, after which Defense Counsel K. Sanyang subjected him to cross-examination. The testimony centered on the role of Village Development Committees (VDCs) in managing and selling land, particularly in Kassa Kunda.
Mr Buba Sanyang told the court that VDCs do not automatically own land. “They can only deal with land where it has been formally entrusted to them by an individual, a family, or the wider community,” he explained. Without such authorization, a VDC has no legal authority to sell land or benefit from sale proceeds. He added that he was not aware whether the VDC in the present case had received any such mandate from the community.
Under cross-examination, the witness confirmed that Kassa Kunda was among communities that benefited from Jammeh’s forfeited lands. He could not recall every community involved but affirmed Kassa Kunda’s inclusion. The lands, originally owned by the former president, were forfeited to the State and placed under government custody. The State subsequently reallocated 40 percent of the recovered land back to the Kassa Kunda community, following the same procedure applied elsewhere.
A key document was tendered: a letter dated 27 December 2022 from the Director of Lands and Surveys, Kebba Ceesay, to the Alkalo of Kassa Kunda, confirming the return of the 40 percent portion. With no objection from the prosecution, the letter was admitted as Exhibit D1.
The witness described the letter as an official communication issued after completion of ministry processes and committee decisions. When Defense Counsel suggested the contents might be false, Mr Buba Sanyang firmly rejected the idea. “They were not false,” he stated. “It was a genuine and valid government communication.”
The defense pressed further, suggesting the former minister may have abused his office in the allocation process. The witness disagreed. “To my knowledge, the minister has not abused office regarding the letter,” he told the court. He maintained that the allocation followed proper procedures and that the return of land to Kassa Kunda was legitimate. The letter was addressed to the Alkalo on behalf of the landowners, who could be either the village community as a whole or individual families within it.
After re-examination, with no further questions from either side, the witness was discharged.
Justice Jaiteh adjourned proceedings to Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at 10 a.m. for continuation of the trial.
