Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – The controversy surrounding the sale of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh has reached a boiling point, as a newly formed civic group, Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), announces plans for a public demonstration while a senior cabinet minister threatens legal action over what he calls defamatory allegations.

The uproar follows a damning investigative report by The Republic, which shed light on alleged corruption and mismanagement in the disposal of Jammeh’s confiscated properties—revelations that have triggered widespread public outrage and revived questions about the integrity of the asset recovery process led by the Janneh Commission.

In a press release, GALA declared their intention to organize a protest march demanding the publication of the full list of individuals who purchased former President Jammeh’s assets. “At a moment like this, we must march. We must march to demand the list of all the buyers of the assets left behind by the former president,” the group stated. “It belongs to the Gambian people, and they reserve all the rights to know how their resources were used, spent, or otherwise.”

GALA underscored that their call for transparency is not just a political demand but a moral imperative grounded in the principle of equal access to national resources. “As a nation that strives to prosper and ensure everyone… gets the same opportunities to succeed, we must rise in opposition to anything that threatens our collective aspirations,” the group added.

Amid growing public pressure, Minister of Lands and Regional Governments Hamat N.K. Bah has come out forcefully in a surprise phone call on West Coast Radio’s Coffee Time With Peter Gomez morning program to deny any involvement in the alleged asset deals.

Currently in the United States, Minister Bah issued a scathing rebuke of the allegations made in The Republic’s report and announced his intent to initiate legal proceedings.

“I have seen and heard all the false allegations made against me by Mustapha K. Darboe of The Republic, and I vowed that I will leave no stone unturned in this matter,” Bah said in a statement circulated on social media.

The minister revealed that he has retained veteran lawyer Antouman Gaye to file lawsuits for “criminal defamation” and “false information” against the media outlet. “I have never bought any of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets, never!” he insisted. “I will be back very soon to The Gambia to take these allegations to court… I will make sure this case is prosecuted and shall apply the full force of the law!”

The escalating war of words has intensified scrutiny over the government’s management of Jammeh-era assets, a matter that has long stirred public interest since the former dictator fled the country in 2017 following a historic electoral defeat.

Observers say the unfolding drama—marked by public dissent and official defensiveness—could deepen public mistrust in institutions tasked with safeguarding national resources.

As GALA prepares to mobilize on the streets and Minister Bah sharpens his legal arsenal, the Gambia finds itself at a crossroads where calls for justice and transparency collide with the entrenched powers of the state.

Will the government heed the citizens’ demands for full disclosure? Or will legal threats silence media scrutiny? For many Gambians, the answers may define the country’s democratic credentials in the post-Jammeh era.