The secretary to the cabinet and head of the Civil Service, Alieu Njie, has come under scrutiny after failing to submit critical documents to a parliamentary committee investigating the disposal of assets linked to former President Yahya Jammeh.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee, Njie declined to accept responsibility for the 35-day delay, despite a formal request from the committee dated 10 June.

According to Counsel Lamin Dibba, Mr Njie’s office only responded on 16 July, a gap the committee described as “unjustified”.

Mr Njie told the committee that he began searching for the documents four days before his appearance and was only able to locate a portion on the day of the hearing.

When questioned on whether he had seen the Janneh Commission White Paper or related documents, he replied: “No.”

He maintained that his office had conducted a diligent search, though Counsel Dibba challenged the claim, insisting the extended delay amounted to a failure of duty.

“Even if you do not have the documents,” Dibba said, “you are expected to know who does.”

Responding to allegations of withholding information, Mr Njie stated: “I am a man of truth and I hate to lie, especially about this matter. I myself am interested in knowing what happened. I wouldn’t hide anything because I have nothing to gain from it.”

Despite this, committee members expressed frustration over what they described as a breakdown in internal communication and coordination within the Cabinet Office.

They viewed Mr Njie’s explanations as indicative of wider issues in leadership and accountability.

In response, the committee ordered he to submit all outstanding materials, including all records from 2016 to the present, and what he referred to as the “general commission file”,  within 24 hours.

The committee warned that the delay and lack of preparedness were inconsistent with the standards expected of a senior civil servant, calling the conduct both negligent and irresponsible.

By Adama Makasuba