Africa-Press – Gambia. Alpha Barry, the receiver of former President Yahya Jammeh’s properties and head of Alpha Kapital, on Monday reappeared before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee investigating the sale and disposal of Jammeh’s assets.
During his testimony, Barry disclosed that he had been instructed to pay D50 million to the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to support reparations for victims of Jammeh’s regime.
“There is D50 million that was paid to the TRRC,” Barry told lawmakers.
He explained that the payment was made directly into a commercial bank account under the authorization of the Office of the Attorney General, emphasizing that the funds were intended solely for victim reparations.
“The 50 million was paid directly to a commercial bank account with the authority of the office of the Attorney General, and the money was for victims’ reparations,” he said.
Barry further testified that the Chairperson of the TRRC, acting through the Attorney General’s Chambers, authorized the transfer. However, he noted that the request for payment was not copied to the Accountant General’s Department.
According to Barry, his company worked closely with the Office of the Auditor General during the receivership process. Initially, he said, questions regarding the management of assets were directed to the Accountant General, who would then refer them to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“When we were asked for information, the Accountant General would then seek guidance from the Office of the Attorney General,” Barry said, adding that “there was a lot lost in translation in between.”
He recounted that some queries were later raised at the National Assembly, prompting discussions to clarify misunderstandings about his company’s role.
“At some point, there were some queries at the National Assembly, and we sat around to discuss what the issues were, and it was sorted out,” He Said
Barry told the committee that he later met with the then Auditor General to clarify that he, as receiver, was responsible for managing Jammeh’s properties and assets — not for selling cattle, vehicles, or tractors, as some auditors had assumed.
“The confusion was, they always thought that I was responsible for the sale of the cattle and also the sale of vehicles and tractors,” he explained.
He added that his office now works collaboratively with the relevant institutions, noting that most financial queries came through the Accountant General because all payments were processed via the government’s recovery account.
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