By Arret Jatta
Civil society organisations have called for an independent investigation and nationwide forensic audit into the management and disposal of assets recovered from former president Yahya Jammeh.
The call is contained in a Civil Society Position Paper developed after a two-day engagement convened by Gambia Participates from 8th to 9th April, 2026.
The engagement brought together civil society actors, legal practitioners, journalists, governance experts and accountability advocates to review the findings of the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee (SSC) Report on the disposal of Jammeh’s assets.
The CSOs said the committee’s findings point to serious concerns over transparency, conflicts of interest, undue influence and procedural irregularities in the disposal process.
They also raised concerns about possible breaches of judicial orders. According to the position paper, the high court had ordered that recovered assets be frozen and preserved pending lawful determination and further court processes.
However, the CSOs said evidence reviewed by the SSC suggested that parts of the disposal process went ahead despite the preservation orders. They said this raised questions about compliance with court directives and respect for the separation of powers.
The position paper also highlighted concerns over irregular valuations, preferential transactions, weak documentation and a lack of competitive bidding.
It said these practices created conditions that could lead to the undervaluation of public assets and raised questions over whether the State received fair value from their disposal.
The CSOs further identified institutional fragmentation, poor record-keeping and weaknesses in financial controls as major problems.
They said unclear mandates among state institutions made it difficult to establish responsibility for decisions taken during the management and disposal of the assets.
The groups are calling for a comprehensive Asset Recovery and Management Law to clearly define the roles of institutions, custody arrangements, disposal procedures and oversight mechanisms.
They also want all individuals and institutions implicated in the SSC Report to face prompt and impartial investigations, with administrative, civil or criminal action where evidence supports it.
The CSOs are also demanding a nationwide forensic audit of all assets recovered under the Janneh Commission process.
They want the government to publicly disclose asset inventories, valuation reports, disposal records, beneficiaries and revenues generated.
They further called for a verified national register of recovered Jammeh assets and stronger parliamentary oversight of the implementation of the SSC recommendations.
The CSOs said the handling of Jammeh’s assets is ultimately a test of governance, accountability and respect for the rule of law in The Gambia.