Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) has issued a scathing petition to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Chambers, demanding urgent accountability for the allegedly non-transparent and undervalued sale of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh.
The move follows an explosive investigative report by The Republic titled “The Assets of Gambia’s Former Dictator Go for a Song,” which uncovered irregularities in the disposal process.
In the petition, GALA warns that the asset sales—intended to symbolise accountability for Jammeh’s 22-year authoritarian rule—have instead “threaten[ed] to undermine public trust and discredit the entire exercise.” The group alleges “non-transparent disposal processes, potential insider dealings, and failure to keep the public informed,” and has demanded immediate action under constitutional and transparency laws.
GALA states: “These assets—recovered in the name of justice and national healing—were meant to symbolise accountability and restitution for the Gambian people. Instead, the opaque disposal process […] now threaten[s] to undermine public trust.”
The petition, grounded in Section 25(1)(f) of The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution and the Access to Information Act (2021), outlines five demands:
1. Publication of Asset Disposal Records: A full, unredacted list of seized assets, including “detailed descriptions, final sale prices, buyer names, and valuation methodologies.”
2. Disclosure of Proceeds Usage: A breakdown of how sale funds were allocated, including “commissions, intermediary fees, or consultant payments.”
3. Independent Oversight: Creation of a joint oversight body with the National Assembly, National Audit Office, and civil society to audit past transactions and monitor future sales.
4. Withdrawal of ICC Nomination: Immediate retraction of former Justice Minister Abubacarr Ba Tambadou’s nomination to the International Criminal Court, citing concerns over his oversight of the asset-disposal process.
5. Presidential Address: A public statement from President Adama Barrow outlining a “concrete, time-bound plan” to address accountability and institutional reforms.
GALA further “prays” that the National Assembly launch a formal inquiry into the asset sales and that President Barrow take “decisive action against any officials found culpable.”
The petition concludes with a rallying cry: “These revelations are far more than administrative lapses—they are a pivotal test of our national commitment to truth, justice, and the democratic ideals we cherish.”
GALA’s last week’s protest reignited public debate over accountability for Jammeh-era crimes and corruption. Jammeh, who ruled from 1994 to 2017, fled into exile after refusing to accept electoral defeat. His regime was marked by torture, extrajudicial killings, and embezzlement of state funds.
