Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Former Attorney General Abubacarr M. Tambadou on Monday firmly dismissed the legitimacy of the October 2020 Janneh Commission asset report, telling the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee that the only accurate document is the April 2020 version he personally authored.
Tambadou, who left office in June 2020, said he was “surprised” by the existence of the October report, which contains recommendations he insists were never made by the Ministerial Task Force he chaired while in office.
“I only prepared one report, the April update. That report shows what the Task Force actually decided,” he stated during the committee’s live-screened hearing.
The Janneh Commission, established to probe the mismanagement of state properties under the former regime, generated an extensive list of over 280 properties.
A Ministerial Task Force was created to determine which assets should be sold, returned to private owners, or retained by the state.
Tambadou’s April 2020 report, submitted to Cabinet before his departure, outlined properties already sold and those designated for specific public purposes.
However, the October 2020 version, presented to the committee, recommended retaining certain Banjul properties for government use, assets Tambadou said had been conclusively sold months earlier.
“I did not prepare the October report, I did not submit it, and I cannot explain decisions made after I left office,” he emphasized.
Both reports, however, were unsigned, a detail that has deepened uncertainty. Tambadou clarified that obtaining signatures fell under the Cabinet Secretariat’s mandate, not the Ministry of Justice.
He also detailed the role of the Technical Subcommittee, set up to support the Task Force in reviewing the voluminous Janneh Commission findings.
“The ministers could not go through all 280 properties. The Technical Subcommittee reviewed the report and advised us on each property,” he explained.
Tambadou linked some of the disputes surrounding the assets to unresolved grievances within the transitional justice process, noting that several individuals had petitioned to reclaim property they said was wrongfully confiscated.
“Our process aimed to address grievances fairly and prevent future conflict,” he added.
With conflicting documents and no formal signatures, lawmakers on the Special Select Committee now face a pivotal challenge: determining which report reflects the true decisions of the Task Force.
“The April report is the one I stand by. It accurately represents what the Task Force decided during my tenure,” Tambadou concluded, leaving the committee to untangle what is shaping up to be a major accountability dilemma.
