Africa-Press – Gambia. Abubacarr S Camara, director general of the Gambia Tourism Board yesterday appeared before the National Assembly enquiry committee to answer questions about how land in the Tourism Development Area (TDA) was given out and whether proper procedures were followed.
Camara began by saying that none of the land documents mentioned the name of former President Yahya Jammeh as the records only show company names, not individuals. However, he admitted that political influence may have played a role in the background, making the process unclear.
He said this is so because in some cases investors received land before meeting important requirements, such as completing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and starting development within a set time.
Camara told the enquiry that while the rules say land allocations should be cancelled if conditions are not met within three years, many plots have remained undeveloped for more than ten years.
Camara also spoke about a group called MOAB Investment, saying the company was first given a piece of land that was also allocated to Rasko, but he said MOAB later agreed to be moved and was refunded. “The land in question was confirmed to be part of the Kanilai Cultural Centre and was never developed,” he said.
Other land disputes were also mentioned, including areas like Palma Rima, Palm Luxurious, and Gamex. Camara said that the Gambia Tourism Board took back land leases without proper approval from the board, which led to confusion and legal problems. He admitted it has been difficult to keep track of all the records due to the large number of files sent to the National Assembly over the years.
The committee members ordered the GTBoard DG to submit all relevant land allocation documents within 48 hours to support further investigations into the matter.
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