The former Vice President of the Gambia, Isatou Njie Saidy, has been banned from holding public office for five years and two of her properties in Brufut Heights and Batokunku forfeited to the State.

The ban and assets seizures were instituted by The Gambia Government on the recommendation of the Janneh Commission Report which was made public on Friday.

The Janneh Commission of Inquiry was set up in 2017 to investigate financial improprieties by the former president Yahya Jammeh and his close associates. The Commission submitted its report on March 29, 2019. The Gambia government released the Commission report on Friday along with a White Paper setting out its reaction to the findings and recommendations.

Mrs Njie-Saidy was listed by the Commission as a close associates of former president Jammeh and accused of “aiding and abetting his economic crimes”.

“The Commission found that former President Jammeh’s financial dealings and/or activities were at all stages facilitated, assisted or even guided by a number of people. The Commission has identified seventeen

persons (17) as close associates of former President Jammeh based on the evidence before it. These include military officers who left with him into exile, private individuals and companies that had business dealings with him either directly or indirectly through companies in which former President Jammeh had an interest,” The Gambia government said in its White Paper on the Commission Report.

The Janneh Commission also found the former VP, Isatou Njie-Saidy, liable for the sum of D11, 726.90 and US$3,847.80 respectively

The former Vice President’s ban from holding public office came into effect from the date of the publication of the government’s White Paper on the Janneh Commission’s Report.

The Commission listed the following people as Jammeh’s close associates: General Sulayman Badjie, Amadou Samba, Tarrek K Musa, Muhammed Bazzzi, Fadi Mazegi, Nicolai Buziainu and Dracos Buziainu, Illija Reymond and Martin Keller, Ali Youssef Sharara, Ansumana Jammeh, Worreh Njie Ceesay, Alhagie Ousman Ceesay, Tony Ghattas, Sira Wally Ndow Njie, Amadou Colley, Basiru Njie, Oumie Savage Samba, Njogou Bah, Momodou Sabally, Noah Touray, Kebba S Touray, Fatou Mass Jobe, Feryale Diab Ghanem, Momodou Lamin Gibba, Momodou OS Badjie, Edward Graham, Abdoulie Cham, Manlafy Jarjue, Ismaila Kaba Sambou, Momodou Aki Bayo, Ebou Jallow, Edward Singhateh and Yankuba Touray.