By Tabora Bojang
The minister of justice has informed lawmakers that the United States government is preparing to transfer to The Gambia government funds generated from the sale of former president Yahya Jammeh’s US$3.5 million mansion located in Maryland, USA.
“We are signing off on the agreement to transfer the funds. I believe before the end of the week or next week. So once it is signed, the funds will be transferred,” Dawda Jallow said during the ministerial question and answer session at the parliament on Wednesday.
He said once the funds reach The Gambia, they will be transferred to the Reparations Commission, the body established to pay reparations to victims of the Jammeh-era crimes for disbursement.
The US Department of Justice secured the forfeiture of the multi-million dollar mansion in Potomac, Maryland following a court judgement in 2022. The Justice Department stated that Jammeh “corruptly” bought the mansion by “conspiring with his family members and close associates to utilise a host of shell companies and overseas trusts to launder his alleged corrupt proceeds” throughout the world.
The US government has recommended to The Gambia government to use the proceeds from the sale of the forfeited property for the benefit of people harmed by Jammeh’s acts of corruption and abuse of office.
Minister Jallow disclosed that the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) recommended payment of compensation to a total of 1,009 victims adding that as of 7 September 2026, a total of 112 victims or their families received their full compensation payment. He further revealed that 879 victims from the original TRRC list are yet to be paid their balances.
Jallow pointed out that more victims may be identified because the commission is still registering victims not interviewed or recognised by the truth commission.
The minister said he is “not too sure if the money from the proceeds of Jammeh’s Potomac mansion will be able to settle payment of all the victims.
“This is why we gave the reparations commission a five-year mandate and allocated D20 million per annum because we are not too sure whether they would be able to pay every victim at one go,” he stated.