The United States government has applauded the release of the report of the Janneh Commission of Inquiry by the Government of The Gambia.
The report, which looked at institutions, persons and groups of persons directly involved in the financial dealings and activities of former president Jammeh, his family members and close associates, was released last Friday.
“It is crucial that the asset recovery process be undertaken in a similarly transparent fashion to assure the Gambian people that recovered assets are being properly accounted for and accrue to the public benefit,” the US said in a press release.
The release added: “The government of the United States will continue the work well under way to pursue available legal means to support the Gambian government’s efforts to recover the identified ill-gotten gains.
The investigation of financial crimes is extremely complex, requiring specialised knowledge and training. We urge the Gambian public and civil society to invest the time to understand fully the complexities of the investigation and report, referencing the original Act that established the Commission of Inquiry, and the legal thresholds required to establish facts meeting evidentiary standards under Gambian law.
“We take this moment to renew our recommendation that government authorities work closely and expeditiously with civil society organisations and the National Assembly to develop strong legislation, strong regulations, and strong rule of law-based investigative and prosecutorial mechanisms to better ensure that persons who abuse their positions of public trust to greedily benefit themselves are held accountable.
Trust by the Gambian people in their government will be bolstered by vigorous, transparent action to do so.”
