The Gambia has agreed to pay the sum of US$4.6 million to Conapro Company in the United Kingdom following a difficult and protracted negotiation out of court settlement in the Conapro case, according to Justice Minister Abubakar Tambadou.
The Conapro case was instituted against the Gambia in the courts of the United Kingdom in 2013 by the Conapro Company.
Conapro was claiming the sum of $32 million and possibly rising to $56 million plus interests and other recoverable costs associated with the legal process, says Justice Minister Abubakar Tambadou during a press briefing on Monday at the Ministry’s head office in Banjul
The Gambia faces a potential legal liability bill in excess of two billion dalasis arising from international cases instituted against the government of The Gambia in different fora around the world as a result of the purported acts of former President Yahya Jammeh and some of his close associates.
According to Minister Tambadou, between 30th April and 5 May, they traveled to London to engage Conapro in direct negotiations in order to reach an out of court settlement. He said the negotiated settlement amount is actually lower than the amount The Gambia government was advised to accept by our instructing solicitors in the United Kingdom.
“So far, the Gambia government has incurred over 1 million British pounds sterling in legal costs to defend this case. Instructing solicitors for The Gambia government in the United Kingdom further advised that it will cost the Gambian State at least another 1.3 million British pounds sterling from now to the end of the case if it were to proceed to trial” he said.
Minister Tambadou with delight reported that after difficult and protracted negotiations, they were able to successfully reach an out of court settlement with Conapro for a total amount of $4.6 million to be paid by The Gambia government in installments until the year 2019.
He further stated that the negotiated settlement also gives The Gambia government exclusive ownership of the GFFI Mill at Kamalo in The Gambia.
He announced that the matter has now been brought to a close and that the Gambia government will not incur any further legal costs in this matter. He assured that the Ministry intends to recover every single butut spent not only in this case but in all other cases from former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates who have caused this financial loss to the Gambian State.
