By Sadia
The National Assembly’s Special Select Committee investigating former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets has excluded journalists from its site visits, while recent testimonies from Registrar General Abdoulie Colley have highlighted discrepancies in property records.
The site inspections, scheduled from 1–4 September 2025, include properties such as Jammeh’s residence in Kanilai. The committee stated that media presence could “jeopardize” its work and that journalists would be briefed on findings after the visits.
Colley appeared before the committee twice in recent weeks. He confirmed that while 16 properties are visible in the digital deeds registry, additional properties may have been re-registered without his knowledge.
He also noted discrepancies between his submission of 188 properties and the Janneh Commission’s report of 288, and said that properties in the Tourism Development Area (TDA) are not separately classified in the registry.
Committee members pressed Colley on the handling of cancelled and forfeited titles, the preservation of property history, and payment of stamp duties for the sales. Colley explained that re-entered titles receive new serial numbers, and historical information is not always preserved, which he said is not ideal for transparency.
The site visits are intended to verify the status of Jammeh’s assets and cross-check them against submitted documents.
Lawmakers said a detailed briefing would be provided to the media once the inspections are complete.
