(JollofNews) – Gambia’s ousted ruler Yahya Jammeh has rubbished allegations by the government of President Adama Barrow that he owned hundreds of properties, bank accounts and businesses worth millions of Dalasis.
A spokesman for Mr Jammeh, Seedy Njie, who is also the press secretary of Mr Jammeh’s APRC party, said he was “baffled and perplexed,” and is finding it hard to understand how the alleged list of Jammeh’s assets was put together by the government.
Mr Jammeh who governed the Gambia for 22 years was booted out of power in January 2017 after a shock defeat in the presidential election by opposition candidate Adama Barrow. He is currently living in exile in Equatorial Guinea with his wife and family as part of a deal brokered by regional group, Ecowas.
He is accused of corruption and hijacking the Gambian economy and looting as part of investigations into his regime, the Gambian Ministry of Justice Monday produced a list containing 131 landed properties, 88 different bank accounts and 14 companies it said belonged to it.
But Mr Jammeh’s spokesman said he is not aware of the existence of some of the alleged accounts and properties.
“The list lacks due diligence and sincerity. When you look at the list… to be honest I just cannot understand,” Mr Njie told The Standard Newspaper.
“How many bank accounts did they say [the former leader has]? When you look at the list, you see farms in Central River Region, farms in Ballanghar. Also, you look at the accounts and the APRC accounts. I ask myself, really, are these people doing their homework?”
Mr Njie added: “I also saw the Jammeh Foundation Hospital accounts and I said to myself, I hope the staff in that hospital will receive their salary this month because their accounts have been frozen. I don’t know what those accounts got to do with President Jammeh.
“I couldn’t imagine what I was reading in the newspapers. But anyway, the truth shall always prevail. I don’t know how this whole thing is being done but I am sure the APRC will come out with a press conference or a statement in which the interim leader will set the record straight. I assure you that. I don’t know the yardstick they have been using but it looks very funny.”
I don’t wish to say ” I told you so” But ok I will>>> I told you so.
I would go and consult with a QC. I’m pretty sure that The Gambia is still governed under Her Majesty laws, someone correct me if I’m wrong.
There are more to this list. Jammeh’s corruption transcends beyond the borders of the Gambia. How about the $4 million property at Potoma , the multiple investments in Spain, Rabat and Conakry under different names? The list should be expaned to show the magnitude of the dictators endemic coeruption.
Yes it will perplexed you Seedy Njie and your boss but besides you need to do more of your home work about aprc.You have now idea how he was looting our resources as you are new folks in the party.
Go and do your research now!!!
Let Seedy shot his mouth. I can’t believe this rascal is defending this stupid. How many people has Yaya jammeh killed? Why not talk about that. Where in the world have you seen the president shipping cars and stolen money to his exile place. InshAllah Yaya jammeh shall meet his creator one day. Yaya is a thief and has bankrupt the country and yet you stupid idiots continue to defend this murderer, shame on you.
It’s funny at no point is he saying that the actual corruption and looting didn’t happen. He is just perplexed at the properties and bank accounts frozen. He and his boss are trying to pull a fast one by changing the narrative. Is it possible some of the frozen assets are not his? Maybe but if there is suspicion، you freeze it and let them prove you otherwise. This guy is a fraud.
I’m also perplexed has to how a man who before seizing power was not known to be a wealthy business man or from a very wealthy background can afford not one but at least two Rolls Royce Phantoms and all the other luxury vehicles being loaded on a cargo plane. He came with very little but yet he became richer than the state. We ordinary Gambian citizens would like to know how he acquired all that wealth. The Government has every legitimate right to temporary seize any property or article that is associated with him or his cronies pending investigation. Yaya Jammeh himself did exactly the same to the previous administration (PPP). The ball is in their court to prove to all of us that all the seized properties, businesses, luxury vehicles were acquired legally.
Is Seedy Njie a legal representative for Yahya Jammeh ? Can he challenge the investigation conducted by justice department? If not you are perverting the cause of justice.
To be honest we all know that Gambia is a corrupt country not only Jammeh but all the officials charges and the police charges through the streets we do not talk about the airport of the corruption gambia is like that and it will be worse or worse so a pity but we are corrupts , to be honest Gambia is corrupt country or corrupt government
Seedy Njie
A sell out secondary school drop out talking about due diligence and sincerity. Go back to school Seedy while you are still young or die a miserable un informed old fool. Nobody expected you to understand the veracity of Yahya Jammeh’s crimes of looting our coffers empty nor expect you to understand what is right or wrong. You are just an opportunist un educated fool lead by a rope from Equatorial Guinea. Calling you irrelevant will be an understatement and a praise. You can bark as you like, but the new Gambia is on a better trajectory to the one you and your fellow fools from the APRC have been barking about.
God bless our beloved nation.
I think Mr Njie is a shrewd spokesman painting Jammeh as a victim and the Minister of Justice as the aggressor.
The ex- judicial killing of the resident of Foni may be a game changer. What Barrow does next will be very interesting. What appears to be emerging are signs that Mr Jammeh has not retired his interest.
Make no mistake if yahya try to influence instability in the gambia, and is discovered that he is the man behind it, the deals for his exiled will be revoked and possibly his host nation will likely takes an action. Already the tracking team are on the ground. Surprise will come along.