The Gambia government has said the sale of former president Yahya Jammeh’s assets will continue and that it would used some of his assets that it considered crucial for government purposes.

The government announcement came weeks after it released the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the financial dealings of former president Jammeh and his associates.

Several former public officials and businesses have been penalised for financial improprieties and corruption on the recommendations of the Commission Report.

In a news conference on Monday, the minister of Justice and Attorney General Abubacarr Tambadou told journalists that: “the recovery effort following the Janneh Commission Report is an ongoing one. We continue to sell the assets of former president Jammeh as the Commission recommended … it’s not going to happen very quickly.

“The government would want to dispose of all assets (of the former president) and in that regard we have set up a task force at both the technical and administrative level to advise on which of the former president’s assets to sell and which one to retain for government purposes.”

The former president Yahya Jammeh, who went into exile in Equatorial Guinea following a month of political standoff after he refused to cede power to president Adama Barrow citing electoral irregularities, is said to own luxury cars, planes and over 200 properties including real estate, islands and forest parks.

On Monday, the Gambia government announced a 50 million dalasi reparation fund for the victims of Jammeh. The finances of the fund are generated from the sale of Jammeh’s assets.

The former ruling APRC party has claimed that Jammeh was being “unfairly targeted” and that the Barrow government should “honour the agreement it signed with the former president in exchange for him to hand over power”.

The interim party leader, Fabakary Tombong-Jatta has demanded the return of former president Yahya Jammeh’s assets and properties that have been seized by the Barrow government.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba