US to Return $2.5 Million from Jammeh Property Sale to The Gambia
The United States has agreed to return $2.5 million from the sale of a property linked to former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh. The money is intended for a fund supporting victims of human rights...
The United States has agreed to return $2.5 million to The Gambia from the sale of a property belonging to former president Yahya Jammeh.
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The proceeds will be directed to a fund for people who suffered human rights violations during Jammeh’s 22 years in office, according to the reported agreement.
Agreement signed in Banjul
Gambia’s finance minister and officials from the US Embassy in Banjul signed the agreement on Friday. The exact calendar date of the signing was not provided.
The US Embassy said the return of the funds reflected a shared commitment by Washington and Banjul to combating corruption and money laundering.
Property confiscated after US investigation
Zineb Jammeh, the former president’s wife, bought the property in Potomac, Maryland, in 2010. Twelve years later, US authorities confiscated it after determining that it had been purchased with money obtained through bribes and the embezzlement of public funds.
The agreement covers proceeds from the property’s sale. No sale date or sale price was provided.
Victims’ support and accountability
Yahya Jammeh left office in 2017 and has since been living in exile in Equatorial Guinea.
After taking office, President Adama Barrow established a truth and reconciliation commission for victims of human rights violations committed between 1994 and 2017. The returned money is intended to support a separate fund for victims of abuses committed during Jammeh’s time in power.
Details about the administration and distribution of the fund were not provided.
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