Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, the Gambia)- Ms. Ramatoulie Sarr, former Secretary to the Janneh Commission, came under fire Tuesday as she made her second appearance before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee on Jammeh’s Assets. Counsel Lamin Dibba rebuked her for gaps and contradictions in her testimony over the number of tractors seized, sold, or reserved during the commission’s work.
Sarr, who was described as the “concluding custodian of records” of the Janneh Commission, struggled to reconcile figures in official reports. While she initially confirmed that 138 tractors had been identified in total, her testimony veered into uncertainty as she admitted confusion over whether 95 tractors were part of the second phase alone, and whether 43, 52, or 59 were actually sold.
Pressed on the discrepancies, she conceded: “I don’t know how they arrived at 59.”
The inconsistencies frustrated the committee, with one committee member telling her: “You are the memory of the commission, If you cannot remember, then we are doomed.”
The testimony revealed further gaps. Though 16 Mahindra tractors were said to have been reserved for state use in the first phase, and 25 in the second, reports also indicated that some of these same tractors had been auctioned. Questions over whether auction teams adhered to prices, or sold unrecorded farm equipment, deepened the confusion.
Sarr admitted she had not gone through all commission documents before testifying, explaining she had undergone surgery when first summoned. But the committee was unsparing, reminding her of her responsibility to provide clarity.
Counsel Dibba applied for a stern warning, arguing that unless Sarr returned with full knowledge of the records, she risked being cited for contempt for failing to give “full and frank disclosure.”
The committee adjourned the session with orders for the witness to return better prepared. What began as a hearing on tractor sales has now raised wider questions about accountability and the integrity of records kept by the Janneh Commission.
