Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – In an interview this morning with West Coast Radio’s Peter Gomez, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Marie “Ba” Tambadou, has once again addressed allegations of corruption and conflict of interest during his tenure, specifically related to the management and sale of assets seized from former dictator Yahya Jammeh and his associates. The interview follows an exposé by The Republic which raised concerns about the transparency and fairness of the asset recovery process.

Tambadou, who served as Attorney General from 2017 to 2020, played a key role in establishing the Janneh Commission, which investigated the financial activities of Jammeh and his circle.

Reacting to the allegations, Tambadou stated, “Throughout my time as Attorney General, I have never misled the public about anything,” and encouraged the government to share all information about the assets with the public.

TDA Lands Controversy

A significant portion of the interview focused on the controversial issue of the Tourism Development Area (TDA) lands.

Tambadou explained that the government sought to unfreeze these lands, which had been frozen under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, to attract investors, including Future Touristic (FTI), and to identify a location for infrastructure related to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit.

According to Tambadou, the initial application to unfreeze the lands was denied by Justice Saho. However, a subsequent application was filed, with additional information, and approved by Justice Jaiteh.

Tambadou emphasized that this was a cabinet decision, not a unilateral one, and that his office consulted with a team of lawyers before proceeding. He also provided email correspondence to support his claim that an appeal was initially considered.

Alpha Capital Advisory and Asset Sales

Tambadou also addressed allegations regarding the appointment of Alpha Capital Advisory, a firm that managed the sale of Jammeh’s assets.

He refuted claims of a conflict of interest, explaining that the firm was selected by a ministerial committee and that the sales process was conducted through a closed bidding system, making the role of a sales agent irrelevant.

He acknowledged that his future wife was a sales agent but stated that it was for a family property and not related to the Jammeh assets.

According to reports, Alpha Capital Advisory was hired in June 2019, after the Janneh Commission submitted its report. The firm was tasked with disposing of Jammeh’s assets, and its fees were set at 10% on all assets sold and 5% on all shares liquidated.

Transparency Concerns

Tambadou expressed concern over the timing of The Republic’s report, noting that it was published on the same day he submitted comprehensive responses to their questions.

He suggested that the publication may have had a preconceived notion and did not fully consider his responses. He urged the government to release all information related to the asset sales to ensure transparency and allay public concerns.

The interview has sparked further debate about the handling of Jammeh’s assets and the need for greater transparency in the process.