The National Assembly’s special select committee has recommended criminal investigations into former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr M. Tambadou, while calling for a formal reprimand of current Attorney General Dawda A. Jallow.

The findings follow an inquiry into the management and disposal of assets recovered from former President Yahya Jammeh, as identified by the Janneh Commission.

According to the report, Tambadou presided over a “systematic and deliberate violation of the Public Finance Act 2014,” prompting the committee to urge the Executive to initiate criminal proceedings through the police under the supervision of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“The Committee recommends that criminal investigations be conducted against former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Hon. Abubacarr M. Tambadou, for systematic and deliberate violations of the Public Finance Act 2014, abuse of office, and economic crimes,” the report states.

The committee also faulted current Attorney General Dawda Jallow for failing to address irregularities inherited from his predecessor. “Hon. Dawda A. Jallow should be reprimanded for perpetuating and validating unlawful administrative arrangements established by his predecessor,” the report said.

The inquiry, mandated by the National Assembly, sought to account for how public assets, including lands, vehicles, aircraft, livestock, and funds, identified by the Janneh Commission were managed, preserved, and disposed of.

The committee found that legal oversight of state assets lies under the Assets Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC) Act of 1992 and the Public Finance Act, which mandate the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to ensure effective management of government assets.

Tambadou told the committee he avoided assigning landed property disposal to the AMRC because the corporation had allegedly been under Janneh Commission scrutiny. However, the commission clarified that AMRC was not investigated due to time constraints, emphasizing that this did not imply a clean record.

Instead of empowering AMRC, the Executive set up an inter-ministerial taskforce and appointed a receiver to manage certain landed properties.

The taskforce, led by Tambadou, included ministers of lands, tourism, agriculture, and the secretary general. Evidence presented showed the Ministry of Justice spearheaded the disposal process.

A key issue raised by the committee was the exclusion of the Ministry of Finance, reportedly due to conflicts of interest involving then Finance Minister Mambury Njie.

Njie had repeatedly raised concerns over asset sales, noting in a November 2019 letter that proceeds were being deposited in a commercial bank account instead of the government’s consolidated fund, in violation of the Public Finance Act.

Njie also accused Tambadou of attempting to intimidate him for insisting on legal compliance.

“Your personal prejudice does not justify your blatant refusal to engage the office of the Minister of Finance,” Njie wrote.
The committee concluded that the irregularities were not isolated incidents.

Correspondence from Njie documented ongoing violations, showing Tambadou’s unwillingness to comply with statutory requirements.

The exclusion of the finance ministry was deemed a deliberate strategy to bypass financial controls, creating “parallel systems operating outside constitutional and statutory frameworks.”

The committee further found that when Dawda Jallow assumed office, the same administrative structures continued, effectively validating unlawful arrangements.
Concerns were also raised over the disposal of landed properties, with some sales lacking legal frameworks, cabinet approvals, or delegated authority.

“The procedures failed to meet minimum standards of due process, fairness, and accountability required in the disposal of public land,” the report states.

Alongside calls for investigations and reprimands, the committee recommended urgent institutional reforms.

The AMRC should be reconstituted and strengthened within six months, or legislation should be presented to repeal the AMRC Act within three months.

The committee concluded that Tambadou’s conduct fell “far short of the standards expected of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, the principal legal adviser to Government charged with ensuring that all government actions comply with the law.”

By Adama Makasuba