Africa-Press – Gambia. A comprehensive report submitted to the Commission of Inquiry investigating the financial dealings of former President Yahya Jammeh, his family, and close associates has revealed that the sale of tractors, vehicles, and other movables generated a total of D67,894,170.00 for the state.
The report, dated February 26, 2019, and authored by Fatou Drammeh, Assistant Secretary II to the Commission, details two major public auction exercises held between June 2018 and January 2019. These auctions were conducted under the oversight of the Commission, following the departure of the former Secretary to the Commission, Alhaji Mamadi Kurang.
Tractor Sales
The auction of tractors was conducted in two phases. The first involving forty three (43) tractors, took place under the supervision of Alhaji Mamadi Kurang, between June 23 and 26, 2018, generating D10,523,000.00 from sales held at several police stations and military posts including Banjulinding, Brikama, Sibanorr, Bwiam, Kanlaji, Somita, Kanilai, and the Management Service Agency in Kotu.
Following the departure of Mr. Kurang, the team underwent a reorganization under the leadership of Ms. Fatou Drammeh and Mr. Kebba Bojang. The restructured team comprised representatives from the Commission, staff from the Office of the President (Vehicle Control Unit), four cashiers from the Accountant General’s Office, and an auctioneer. As a result, a second five-day national auction exercise commenced on October 1, 2018, with two teams deployed to carry out the operation.
Team 1, led by Kebba Bojang, covered Kanifing, West Coast Region (WCR), and Lower River Region (LRR), auctioning 43 tractors, though some were unserviceable or missing key components.
Team 2, led by Ms. Drammeh, operated in the North Bank Region (NBR) and Central River Region (CRR), auctioning 59 tractors. Many of these had been tampered with, and some had missing parts, which affected their value.
Together, both teams raised D13,083,000.00 from the tractor sales, bringing the total revenue from all tractor-related auctions to D23,606,000.00. In addition, 41 Mahindra tractors were reserved for state use and are being distributed to local government councils.
Vehicle Sales
A separate 10-day nationwide vehicle auction commenced on January 14, 2019. Staff from the Commission, the Office of the President’s Vehicle Control Unit, and the Accountant General’s Office oversaw the sales. Many of the vehicles had missing parts, rendering them unusable or unsellable, while others were still in active use by government departments.
Notably, several buses could not attract bids meeting even half their reserve price and remained unsold at locations including Kanilai and the State House. Despite these challenges, the vehicle auction raised D44,288,170.00, including proceeds from the auction of movables at former President Jammeh’s residence in Kanilai on January 28, 2019. Items excluded from the auction included luxury cars, a tower crane, mosque materials, personal effects, and cultural artifacts.
All proceeds from the auctions were deposited into the Commission’s account at the Central Bank of The Gambia via bank transfers, cheques, and cash.
Tractor Allocation and Pending Claims
The report also details the allocation of reserved tractors to regional councils:
West Coast Region: 8 tractors
North Bank Region: 4 tractors
Lower River Region: 3 tractors
Central River Region: 5 tractors
Upper River Region: 4 tractors
Kanifing Municipality: 11 tractor (at D100,000)
Banjul City Council: 3 tractors (at D100,000 each)
At the time of the report, a small number of tractors remained under dispute, with ownership claims submitted by alleged owners pending review by the Commission. The outcome of that review is not included in the report under examination.
The auction exercises were supported by members of the Commission, the Office of the President, the Police Intervention Unit, and auctioneers, whose names are listed in the report’s annexes.
The full financial summary and supporting documents, including a Central Bank statement, were submitted along with the report.
Background
The Commission of Inquiry—commonly referred to as the Janneh Commission—was established in 2017 by President Adama Barrow to investigate the financial conduct of Yahya Jammeh and his associates. Over the course of its work, the Commission uncovered widespread corruption, unauthorized withdrawals of public funds, and illicit enrichment involving state enterprises and international partners.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
