The
board of directors of Royal Africa Holdings in The Gambia has issued a press
release denying any link or association with former President Yahya Jammeh,
saying the Ministry of Justice was wrong in freezing the company.
Last
week, the Ministry of Justice said it had obtained a court order to freeze all
the known assets of former President Jammeh.
Consequently, 14 companies are frozen and according to The Standard
newspaper publication of Monday, 29 May 2017, Royal Africa Holdings and its subsidiaries
are part of these companies.
The
board of director of Royal Africa swiftly responded protesting their innocence
and refuting whatever process that might have led to the decision of the
Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to include the company among its
frozen list of companies.
Below
we reproduce the release verbatim.
We,
the board of directors of Royal Africa Holdings, hereby strongly refute, reject
and challenge the verity of decision couple with legitimacy of the process that
led the Government of The Gambia to include our companies’ names on the list of
close associates of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Any
rationale mind would have thought that the Ministry of Justice would have at
least contact us to ascertain veracity of any alleged links (if it exists at
all) before embarking on publications of our companies which goes together with
the blinded blanket freezing of our accounts.
It
was the responsibility of the government to engage the key management of our
companies before making what we deem as pre-emptive decision of publishing our
companies’ names. The government failed
in this responsibility. In absence of
such investigation, we deem their decision a fundamental injustice that not
only tantamount to a pre-emptive and suggestive content feed publication but
also an act that will have irreparable damages on our companies’ names. Surely, all rational and reasonable minded
persons should and will question the Ministry of Justice’s move against our
company.
We
are appalled and astound that the Ministry of Justice has completely ignored
this basic prerequisite cases similar to ours; thereof irreparable reputational
damages already done. With a very heart board of directors, Royal Africa
Holdings strongly rejects and further questions the legality, ethicality and
impartiality of on the process that lead to the publication of our company
name. We reject the move in its totality
and do not believe that due process was followed.
The
reputation of our company and directors deserves a fair justice dispensation,
credibility and transparent investigation and guaranteed legal due process to
ensure that justice done and seen to be done equitably. Unfortunately this
publication did not deliver fair justice for us.
Royal
Africa Holdings maintains our unequivocal innocence on this matter and remain
very confident that we will be vindicated in this process. We strongly believe
that Ministry of Justice was wrong to publish our companies’ names associating
them as close associates of former President Jammeh; we reiterate that Royal
Africa Holdings and subsidiaries had absolutely no business relationship with
former President Jammeh.
We
called on Ministry of Justice of Government of The Gambia to do the needful and
retract our company name from the publication and apologise.
Finally,
we are appealing directly to our Global Investment Banking partners,
consultants and foreign government partners not to be alarmed by this action of
the Ministry of Justice of The Gambia; we will be vindicated. We are appealing for your continued support
and partnership on our Africa focused investment portfolios including The
Gambia. We are equally appealing to our fellow Gambians (our compatriots) to
exercise patience. Please do not hastily conclude and judge; the conduct of
Royal Africa Holdings businesses are clean, transparent and most certainly does
not have anything to do with former President Jammeh.
Insha’Allah,
Royal Africa Holdings will be vindicated.
May Allah SWT continue to bless our nation with eternal prosperity,
peace and verity.
Sign
board
