Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia)- The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs appeared before the Special Select Committee today to clarify issues surrounding the sale of government aircraft, asset recovery, and the management of related funds.
The Minister confirmed that two aircraft sales were fully approved by Cabinet on 11 May 2018. “This is the Cabinet approval. Yes,” he stated, adding that initial proceeds had been deposited into government accounts. He acknowledged some confusion over ownership, noting, “The lack of clarity was part of the proceeds were put into the Jameh’s account and when we noticed, these were not necessarily the assets of Jammeh per se, but the assets of the government.”
According to records presented, a total of five aircraft were sold, including two “air tractors” at $240,000 each and three others totaling $500,000. The Minister said, “The documents we have before us did not talk about the procurement. It only talked about the financial payment aspect.” He emphasized that he was not present during the original transactions and could only rely on documentation and files.
The committee also probed the handling of funds from the Janneh Commission. The Minister clarified, “Funds can be moved by the Accountant General at her discretion or under the instruction of the Minister of Finance.” He admitted that some instructions could not be traced in the files, leaving certain details unresolved.
Past exclusion of the Ministry from asset sales was also highlighted. Correspondence from 2019 and 2020 revealed concerns over the appointment of receivers and the management of proceeds. “Upon discovering this correspondence, we discussed this, and I appointed the Attorney General who invited us as a Ministry. I now sit on the Ministerial Subcommittee,” the Minister explained, adding that these issues were now being addressed.
Regarding an aircraft in Germany, the Minister noted it was there for maintenance. “These aircraft were not registered on the same aviation authority,” he said, emphasizing that oversight and budget allocation for their maintenance were incomplete in the files.
The Minister stressed that all proceeds from aircraft sales have now been returned to government accounts. “Both, all the sales were taken to government accounts, yes,” he confirmed.
The committee concluded the session by requesting further documentation and verification, with the Minister promising to follow up on outstanding records.
