By Mama A. Touray
The Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLMA) failed to act on a High Court order to secure former President Yahya Jammeh’s cattle, resulting in the loss of 400 cows and significant economic damage.
The revelation came during a hearing before the National Assembly’s Special Committee investigating the disposal of Jammeh’s assets identified by the Janneh Commission. Committee Chair Abdoulie Ceesay accused GLMA’s leadership of negligence, stating their inaction directly caused the loss.
“Your failure to implement the High Court order led to an economic loss of 400 cows owned by former President Jammeh,” Ceesay told GLMA Director General Momodou L. Darboe.
The hearing was delayed after Darboe initially failed to appear before the committee, citing an oversight in reviewing official correspondence. When pressed, Darboe acknowledged GLMA’s awareness of the 2017 court order but defended the agency’s inaction, claiming the Ministry of Agriculture did not provide clear instructions.
“On June 2, 2018, we received a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture, signed by Ebrima Sankareh, instructing us to take custody of the livestock,” Darboe testified. “We responded through Ebrima Cham, expressing willingness but requested the modalities for implementation because the court order was not attached.”
Darboe, who assumed office in 2022, insisted he had never seen the original court order. “The order was clear—if they had seen it, they would have acted. But without it, implementation was impossible,” he said.
Committee members challenged Darboe’s explanation, presenting evidence that a soldier had slaughtered the 400 cows in Kanilai—a loss they argued could have been prevented had GLMA secured the livestock.
Lead counsel confronted Darboe: “The slaughter of these cows is a direct consequence of GLMA’s failure to comply with the court order.”
Darboe initially denied responsibility but later conceded. “I was not aware of the consequences,” he said. “But yes, the consequences could have been avoided.”
The committee’s investigation highlights broader concerns over accountability in the management of seized assets linked to Jammeh’s regime. Lawmakers emphasized that GLMA’s inaction—whether due to bureaucratic delays or miscommunication—cost the state valuable resources.
“You were aware of the court order, yet you did nothing,” said committee member Omar Jammeh. “This is unacceptable.”
