Written by: Mama A. Touray
The Director General of the Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLMA), Momodou Darboe, failed to appear before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee on the sale and disposal of assets identified by the Janneh Commission, missing a scheduled statement-taking session.
During the committee proceedings, Chairperson Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay expressed disappointment at the absence, warning: “You should understand that this committee is very serious about what we are doing, and we don’t want the Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency to be an obstacle to the committee’s work.”
In a written apology submitted to the committee, DG Darboe explained that his absence was due to a misunderstanding of the official communication. “This was due to the first letter received from the team with a new date, and I thought it was shifted to 21st July 2025 instead of 17th July 2025, without looking at the content of the letter,” he stated.
He further admitted that he only realised the discrepancy after being contacted by a committee member. “I understand the inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused you and the team. I am committed to ensuring that such errors do not occur in the future,” Darboe added.
Chairperson Ceesay, however, rejected the excuse, pointing out that the committee’s letters clearly indicated different dates. “The dates you were supposed to appear were clearly stated. We expect you to respect the decisions of this committee whenever we send a letter regarding your appearance. We want your cooperation,” he said.
He went on to emphasise the importance of the investigation and the expectation of compliance from all witnesses. “What we are doing is for The Gambia, and you are also working for The Gambia. No one is working for themselves in this task. We are disappointed because we expected you to come and give your testimony, and you failed to do so, which was unacceptable.”
Ceesay added that other witnesses had complied with the process, given their statements, testified, and left without issue. “We expect the same from you,” he told Darboe.
“We want your cooperation, and remember, there are provisions in the law. If you fail to appear for statement-taking again, that is a matter for the committee to decide. As head of an institution operating in this country, no one should have to tell you what your responsibilities are,” he concluded.
DG Darboe was excused from the session and instructed to meet with the investigative team to provide his statement and return tomorrow to testify.
