Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – A National Assembly special select committee has intensified scrutiny into the management of assets belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh and his associates, summoning representatives of Augustus Prom Aditax Advisory, the firm appointed by the High Court in 2017 to act as receiver for the seized properties.
Testifying under oath before the committee chaired by Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay, Louis Prom, an advisory partner at the firm, defended its mandate and actions while shedding light on the complex legal, financial, and operational challenges that have dogged the receivership.
Court Appointment and Urgency
Mr. Prom recounted that his firm was initially approached by the Ministry of Justice shortly after Jammeh’s departure, amid fears of theft and asset misappropriation.
A task force meeting—including police officers, the Registrar General, and then Solicitor General Cherno Marena—was convened at the Attorney General’s Chambers to discuss the urgent need for securing high-value assets.
“I remember hearing the word, we have to move fast… people were stealing, people were claiming,” he told the committee.
A High Court order dated May 22, 2017, formally appointed the firm as receiver for 14 companies, later expanded to 17, including Observer Gambia Limited.
Dormant Companies and Initial Findings Legal Conflicts and Asset Claims
Prom reported that the majority of the companies were inactive or dormant at the time of takeover. Only three—Kenalai Group of Companies (KGI), the Abattoir in Abuko, and BPI Tourism—were operational. In some cases, such as Royal Africa Capital Holding, the only presence was security guards.
He explained that the firm’s immediate mandate was to secure and assess these entities, not operate them. “Our mandate was focused on management, not sales,” he said, adding that many of the companies were highly indebted and lacked funding for revival.
The committee questioned Mr. Prom about the flurry of legal claims filed against the companies under receivership. Prom revealed that the total debt burden approached $1 billion, with over half entangled in litigation.
Among the significant claims:
SSHF filed two lawsuits over unpaid contributions—$10 million against KGI and $6.4 million against Kanilai Family Farms.
GRA demanded $75.4 million in taxes from KFF and $156 million from Westwood, both dormant.
NAWEC was owed $53 million, while Social Security had an additional $10 million claim.
KMC claimed $520,000 in unpaid trade licenses for the Abattoir.
Hannah B. Silla, a businessman filed a $100 million claim over a Kotu property, which was dismissed in court.
Prom said Augustus Prom hired legal counsel to defend against these cases, some of which were still pending when the receivership ended in June 2019.
Financial Status and Operational Hurdles: Warehouses and Missed Opportunities
Prom said the firm faced difficulties managing the operational entities. KGI, despite having sound management and records, struggled with falling revenues and poor staff morale. The Abattoir, as the country’s central meat processing hub, was underfunded and legally ambiguous, making reforms difficult.
He also described the handling of Observer Gambia Limited as a “salvage attempt” that failed. The newspaper was already insolvent with a $20 million debt and was eventually shut down by the sheriff.
Two warehouses at the airport industrial park—linked to Westwood and Mineral Company Gambia Ltd—contained potentially valuable timber and gold dust assets. However, Prom said the firm did not activate operations due to the temporary nature of their mandate and lack of technical expertise.
Judiciary Engagement and AG Friction Reporting and Transparency
Prom disclosed that due to mounting claims and limited support from the Attorney General’s Chambers, his firm wrote to the Chief Justice seeking relief from duplicated judicial processes. While the Chief Justice was reportedly sympathetic, he said he could not intervene.
This action allegedly upset the then Attorney General, who insisted all engagement be routed through his office.
Jammeh’s properties were under the custody of the Registrar General of Companies, Alieu Jallow. Louis reported that the registrar was uncooperative when requesting lease documents for Jammeh’s companies, KGI and KFF.
The Minister of Justice, Ba Tambadou, was dissatisfied and cut off communication, stating that they refused to transfer Jammeh’s hotels to SSHFC.
The firm submitted three volumes of reports to the High Court, including a comprehensive Volume 1 detailing the companies’ legal and financial statuses.
These were also voluntarily shared with the Commission of Inquiry into Jammeh’s assets. Prom recalled a separate request from the commission’s lead counsel relating to a Japanese rice grant, which the firm had audited.
As hearings continue, the committee is expected to summon more witnesses and delve deeper into the handling of the assets, especially regarding accountability, missed opportunities, and whether the public interest was adequately protected.
