Gambiaj.com – (BANJUl, The Gambia)- Alieu Njie, Secretary to Cabinet at the Office of the President, made a second appearance before the National Assembly Select Committee investigating the sale of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets. His reappearance followed a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the Committee due to his earlier inability to provide requested documentation.
During the session, Mr. Njie submitted several correspondences between the Office of the President and key institutions, including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance, regarding the formation and function of the Janneh Commission and the eventual disposal of assets belonging to the former President.
He confirmed that the Executive was involved in the establishment of the Commission but distanced the Office of the President from the actual sale or disposal of the assets, stating that operational decisions were carried out by the Ministries of Finance and Justice in line with Cabinet directives.
Committee members pressed Mr. Njie on the absence of key Cabinet conclusions in the submitted documents.
He admitted that while most of the information was sent through Cabinet papers and memoranda, not all decisions were recorded as Cabinet conclusions. The lack of complete records, particularly Cabinet conclusions authorizing the asset disposal, drew concerns from lawmakers, with Committee members questioning the transparency and accountability of the Executive in handling the post, Commission processes.
Mr. Njie also referenced communications from the former Solicitor General and former Finance Minister detailing the process of disposing of the assets, emphasizing that the Office of the President had only played a facilitating role.
Despite repeated questioning, Mr. Njie maintained that the Office of the President was not directly involved in the execution of sales, describing its role as “transmitting decisions made by relevant authorities.”
Commission reminded Mr. Njie of the constitutional requirement for full cooperation with parliamentary investigations and warned of possible consequences should any efforts to withhold information be detected. The Committee expressed disappointment at the lack of comprehensive documentation and insisted on the need for transparency to ensure public trust in the process.
Mr. Njie concluded by pledging continued cooperation with the Committee and reiterated his respect for the oversight role of the National Assembly.
