By Lamin Njie
Ebou Jallow, Edward Singhatey and Yankuba Touray have been ordered to pay back to the state $32,220,000 (1.6 billion dalasis) out of a $35,000,000 loan money given to The Gambia by Taiwan in 1995.
Jallow, Singhatey and Touray are former military officers who formed the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council of 1995 headed by former president Yahya Jammeh.
The Gambia government on Friday released the Janneh Commission’s report, a 1600-page document that details how former President Yahya Jammeh pilfered billions of dalasis in state funds during his 22 years rule.
A government white paper was also released on Friday setting down measures the Barrow administration has or wishes to take against 31 people who have been found to have assisted Jammeh in committing the crime.
As a part of its measures, the Barrow administration has ordered three former military officers Ebou Jallow, Edward Singhatey and Yankuba Touray to pay back over 30 million dollars of missing funds.
“The commission has found that the AFPRC forged diplomatic relations with Taiwan in the expectation of obtaining financial aid for their transition programme,” the government said in its white paper.
It added: “Taiwan gave The Gambia a loan of $35million. The commission found that Mr Jallow negotiated for $5million cash payment of the said loan on the instructions of former president Jammeh which was brought to The Gambia by special flight and presented to the AFPRC.
“Mr Jallow and Mr Edward Singhatey deposited the amount of $2.3million at the Central Bank of The Gambia. $2.7million has not been accounted for amidst claims that it was handed over to former President Jammeh. Mr Yankuba Touray was responsible for supervising the transition programme projects.
“The commission found that the AFPRC failed to account for the $32,220,000 of the loan from Taiwan and that they are jointly and severally liable or answerable for the amounts not accounted for.
“Mr Ebou Jallow, Mr Edward Singhatey and Mr Yankuba Touray are hereby ordered to pay back to the state the sum of $32,220,000 within 30 days from the publication of this white paper failing which their properties shall be forfeited to the state and sold. The proceeds of sale shall be applied to the payment of the monies for which they are found to be liable in the report, in addition to criminal proceedings to be initiated against them.”
