Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – In response to mounting public concern and recent investigative revelations, The Gambia’s National Assembly will hold an extraordinary session on Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15, 2025, to deliberate on a motion to establish a Special Select Committee tasked with investigating the sale and disposal of assets belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh.

The announcement, issued by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, states that proceedings will begin at 10:00 a.m. on both days. The session is open to the public, who are expected to adhere to standard dress codes and maintain silence during deliberations.

The decision to convene the session follows growing public unrest over the lack of transparency surrounding the fate of Jammeh’s seized properties.

The controversy intensified after The Republic journal, through investigative journalist Mustapha Darboe, published a damning exposé revealing serious irregularities in the management and alleged secret sales of assets confiscated from the former president, who has been in exile since 2017.

In the wake of the report, civil society groups and ordinary citizens launched vocal campaigns demanding full disclosure of the seized assets, the procedures surrounding their disposal, and the identities of the beneficiaries.

The uproar culminated in youth-led protests, which led to arrests but also forced the government to make partial disclosures and eventually release detained demonstrators.

The legislative process to form the inquiry committee was formally initiated by Hon. Billay G. Tunkara, Majority Leader and a member of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). His motion seeks to ensure parliamentary oversight into what many now consider a matter of national interest and integrity.

While the government has released some preliminary documents under pressure, the public and civil society actors continue to call for a comprehensive accounting of all assets seized from Jammeh, including lands, businesses, and other properties, amid fears that some may have been misappropriated.

The outcome of the upcoming session could mark a significant step in The Gambia’s ongoing reckoning with its authoritarian past, as well as a crucial test of the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.