Former Registrar General arrested for contempt, accused of misleading parliament

In a tense and emotionally charged session, the Committee’s legal counsel declared before Chairperson of the committee:” Honourable Chair, I believe the witness is underestimating the seriousness of this committee’s work. He has not been honest or forthcoming as required.”

Citing Sections 109 and 110 of the 1997 Constitution and the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Act, the counsel formally applied that the Sergeant-at-Arms arrest Mr Jallow for “deliberately misleading the committee and tampering with evidence”.

The confrontation came after weeks of questioning surrounding the alleged manipulation of reports and digital files linked to the sale of government vehicles and other assets identified by the Janneh Commission.

According to the committee, forensic investigators had uncovered a document titled “Cattle Sales Final Report” on Jallow’s official laptop, a file allegedly accessed and modified on July 31, 2025, just hours after he last appeared before the committee.

“You told us that the document wasn’t in your laptop,” chairperson challenged. “But the forensic team found that it was accessed from a removable drive the same day you left here. You cannot claim ignorance.”

Mr Jallow denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the files in question were “internal memos” and not official reports.

“I might have gone through them and made some adjustments,” he admitted, “but the details did not change. What I have on my laptop is a memo, not a report.”

Hon. Alhagie Mbowe, member of the committee, pressed further accusing him of “playing semantics to cover his tracks”.

“When you write a memo, it cannot replace a report. You cannot call a report a memo,” Mbowe said. “We are not here to joke.”

The back-and-forth intensified as the committee prepared to play audio evidence to confront Jallow with his own statements. 

Members accused him of withholding documents, deleting files, and even accessing data through an external flash drive to conceal crucial information about asset sales.

“We know what files were created, when they were amended, and what was deleted. The forensic evidence is there. You cannot deny it.”

Despite repeated warnings that his denials could lead to contempt charges, Jallow maintained that he “did not tamper with any documents” and that “whatever was modified was purely administrative”.

However, the committee wasn’t convinced. After deliberation, the Chair officially ruled that the application for contempt and arrest be granted, instructing the Sergeant-at-Arms to detain Jallow and hand him over to the police for further investigation.

For now, Mr Jallow stands accused of misleading Parliament, tampering with evidence, and obstructing justice charges that could carry serious legal and reputational consequences.