Police in Banjul on Thursday arrested several members of the civil society group Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) after they staged a protest demanding transparency in the handling of assets linked to former President Yahya Jammeh.
The protest, which was planned despite the government’s refusal to grant a permit, centered on growing concerns over the lack of public accountability regarding the recovery and sale of Jammeh’s looted assets. GALA had earlier petitioned the authorities to release a comprehensive list of individuals and entities that have purchased the confiscated assets.
Defying the permit denial issued on Wednesday, the group proceeded with its protest in the capital. Eyewitnesses reported that as the demonstrators began to gather peacefully, police swiftly intervened, arresting several participants and loading them into a police pickup truck before transporting them to the police headquarters.
The government has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the arrests. However, human rights activists and opposition voices have already begun raising concerns on social media, accusing the Barrow administration of muzzling dissent and rolling back democratic gains.
Yahya Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia for over two decades before being ousted in 2017, is accused of looting hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers. Since his departure, the government, through the Janneh Commission, has seized numerous properties and bank accounts linked to the former president and his associates.
Critics argue that the process of asset recovery has lacked sufficient transparency, and fear that some assets may have been resold or distributed without proper oversight.
GALA has vowed to continue its campaign, calling for the immediate release of the detained protesters and renewed efforts to ensure public accountability.
More details to follow as the story develops.
