By Tabora Bojang
A motion calling for investigations against ministers in the cabinet sub-committee that oversaw the disposal of assets frozen from former president Jammeh failed to pass in the National Assembly after the Speaker ruled that the findings contained in the report of the Special Select Committee SSC, did not recommend anything like that.
The cabinet sub-committee was set up in the aftermath of the commission of enquiry into the financial dealings of the former president, his family and close associates and was charged with implementing assets disposal including landed properties.
It was chaired by former justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou with ministers Musa Drammeh, Hamat Bah, Amie Faburay and former secretary general, now Vice President Muhammed Jallow as members.
The SSC’s report only found Tambadou wanting and recommended for sanctions against him.
On Monday, the SSC came up with additional recommendations further calling for investigations into other related matters.
During these sessions, the National Assembly member for Central Baddibu Sulayman Saho raised a motion for the Inspector General of Police IGP to investigate the cabinet sub-committee too for “possible corruption.”
According to Saho, the cabinet sub-committe was a fundamental body in the disposal of Jammeh’s assets and that its members should be collectively held responsible for omissions, actions and inactions it made.
He further argued: “The SSC made a recommendation for the former justice minister who was the chairman of the cabinet sub-committee to be investigated but left out other ministers who were serving as members of that same sub-committee. They should collectively be liable. So to get to the bottom of this matter, we should ask the police to investigate the cabinet ministerial task force in its entirety and not just its chairman”.
The motion received mixed reactions with opposition NAMs backing it while ruling party lawmakers rejected it calling it an “excessive” attempt by the Assembly to interfere in the administrative processes of the executive.
Others raised skepticism about the practicability of the IGP investigating his appointing authority, the cabinet.
“The IGP cannot do such an investigation under this government,” Member for Kiang West Lamin Ceesay noted.
Member for Latrikunda Yaya Sanyang said an investigation into the operations of the cabinet sub-committee is valid. He alleged that the cabinet sub-committee was responsible for most of the anomalies relating to the sales and disposal of assets, and therefore police investigation into its conduct is valid.
Sanyang rejected claims that the Assembly is over stepping into the Executive’s affairs, arguing that parliament is the supreme oversight body and does not have limits in correcting government maladministration.
However Majority leader Billay G Tunkara urged Saho to withdraw his motion, arguing that the Assembly cannot involve itself in the internal businesses of the Eexecutive. “We need to know our limits. We cannot be engaging ourselves in administrative businesses. Our mandate was to look into the sales and disposal of Jammeh’s assets but not how the cabinet sub-committee came about and what they have done. That is purely administrative matters. We don’t have powers to dictate to the executive,” he said.
However Member for Serekunda West Madi Ceesay accused the majority leader of misleading the parliament with his claims that the cabinet-subcommittee does not form part of the SSC’s mandate.
Minority leader Alhagie S Darboe said it was ironic for the SSC to find the chairman of the cabinet sub-committee liable and cleared the task force he was chairing of any wrongdoing. “That is very funny to me. And I think, it will require both the ministerial taskforce and chairperson to be investigated,” Darboe submitted.
However another member of the SSC Suwaibou Touray of Wuli East stated that the committee has made no adverse finding against the ministerial taskforce and thus it is needless to call for police investigations.
As the debate ensued, the Speaker, following consultations with his legal team, declared that though the Assembly has powers to investigate the operations of the taskforce, Hon Saho’s motion could not be related to the principal report and he has failed to provide justifications to warrant the investigations against the cabinet sub-committte and the Assembly cannot therefore proceed with it.
Former lead counsel Bensouda
Another motion rejected by the Assembly was tabled by Foni Kansala NAM Almamy Gibba who wanted government to investigate Ms Amie Bensouda, the former lead counsel of the Janneh Commission on “conflict of interest” in the execution of her mandate, and where sufficient evidence is gathered, be prosecuted.
But the Speaker noted that Gibba’s motion does not capture the recommendations contained in the report.
“I think, we should drop this conflict of interest issue because she Amie Bensouda, was appointed to the position and there are certain things that she has probably declared,” Speaker Jatta said, killing that motion too.
