President Adama Barrow has pledged severe consequences for anyone involved in the improper sale of assets linked to former President Yahya Jammeh.

In a televised address to the nation, President Barrow expressed grave concern about the sale of these assets, which has come to light amid the ongoing work of a Commission investigating the disposal of properties connected to the former leader.

“Upon learning of these transactions, some of which were previously unknown to me, I convened an urgent Cabinet meeting on 13 May 2025 to address the issue,” he said.

The President assured the public that the findings of the Commission would be made public, and that his government would take decisive action to implement their recommendations.

He emphasized that anyone found responsible for misconduct would be held accountable.

“The assets recovered belong to the people of The Gambia. My administration will not tolerate negligence or any wrongdoing in safeguarding our nation’s resources,” he added.

He further reiterated his commitment to transparency, stating: “we are committed to full transparency in whatever we undertake on behalf of the people, and I pledge that lessons learned from this incident will be used to fortify our institutions and systems against future lapses.”

The controversy comes after revelations that some assets, including livestock and vehicles, were sold while the Commission’s investigation was still underway. Despite prior efforts to ensure transparency, including a Government White Paper on accountability endorsed by Barrow in 2019, and a Ministerial Taskforce appointed to oversee asset disposal, the recent disclosures raised questions about the integrity of the process.

In response, Barrow considered setting up an independent investigative panel to fully examine the matter and hold all wrongdoers accountable.

By Adama Makasuba