Africa-Press – Gambia. Mr. Omar Jabang, Sheriff of the High Court, has confirmed that there is no record or correspondence indicating that the Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLMA) was involved or contacted in the sale of assets belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh.
Mr. Jabang made these remarks on Thursday during his testimony before the National Assembly Special Select Committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the sale and disposal of Jammeh’s assets as identified by the Janneh Commission. His appearance focused on the role of the Sheriff’s office, the procedures for enforcing judgments and court orders, and related matters.
Explaining the auction process, Mr. Jabang said that on the day of the sales, the team carries a bell, which is rung to signal the acceptance of the highest bid. He emphasized that all sales conducted by the Sheriff were public auctions. Once the highest bid is announced and accepted, a sales return is prepared to document the transaction, specifying the bidder’s name and the amount offered. “The sales return will be kept in the file,” he noted.
Regarding payment procedures, he stated that, in accordance with judicial regulations, all payments above D100 are made via bank transfers on the day of sale. Upon completion of payment, the buyer is issued a certificate of ownership.
On the matter of asset valuation, particularly livestock, Mr. Jabang confirmed that there was no evidence in the files showing that the GLMA was contacted to assist with valuation. “There’s no such correspondence in the file,” he said.
He further explained that land valuations are typically conducted by one or two experts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, while vehicle valuations are handled by a private valuer named Sanneh. If additional expertise is needed, the Sheriff’s office may reach out to relevant government agencies possessing the necessary skills.
“In relation to land, there’s one or two that was appointed by the judicial service commission. He does valuations for us in relation to landed properties. For vehicles, we use one Sanneh; he’s a private valuer, but in a situation where the Sheriff requires the expertise, we will normally contact a government agency that has the requisite skills for that.”
The Sheriff explained that officials from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the State Intelligence Services (SIS) assisted in the sales process. When asked whether the Sheriff’s office typically requires support from other institutions during such exercises, he replied, “If we are going for a sale, a bailiff will normally go with security (police). I wouldn’t know what influence the assistance from the State Intelligence Services has.”
He acknowledged that it is unusual for both the SIS and the Attorney General’s Chambers to be directly involved in sales. However, he clarified that in this case, the Attorney General’s Chambers were the applicants: “As the applicant, you have a vested interest. You will normally serve as a pointer to point out to the Sheriff the items that were supposed to be sold.”
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