“I had several properties, some acquired during my studies in Europe, others developed here in Gambia,” Dr. Sallah told the committee. “I had even bought land for my children, intending to entice them back home from studying abroad. But the former president, it seems, had other plans.”
According to Dr. Sallah, one of the first confrontations occurred over his property in Bato Kunku, where the former president allegedly erected fences encroaching on Dr. Sallah’s garden and home. Over time, the former president reportedly confiscated four fully developed properties and parts of his garden, leaving Dr. Sallah with no formal compensation.
“I had a weekend retreat, a garden, and a house,” Dr. Sallah said. “The president just took it, along with other surrounding properties I owned. These were all developed, and some were meant as gifts to my children. Yet none of this was recognised or compensated formally.”
He also recounted a violent encounter where a military officer attempted to intimidate him over land ownership, even visiting his clinic armed with a revolver. “Fortunately, I was not there, but the tension and threat to my life were real.”
The committee also heard about Dr. Sallah’s frustrations with the Janneh Commission’s handling of asset investigations. Despite submitting all relevant documentation regarding his properties, he claimed, he never received meaningful follow-up, leaving years of unresolved claims. “I feel it is crucial to distinguish what rightfully belonged to the former president and what was taken from others without compensation,” he emphasised.
Dr. Sallah detailed his experiences at public auctions organised by the commission, where he purchased various vehicles and agricultural equipment. Many items, he said, were cannibalised and partially dismantled, reflecting a broader mismanagement of state assets. He described an ambulance formerly in the presidential convoy that required significant repair before it could even be moved, highlighting irregularities in how auctioned items were presented to buyers.
