US mansion of ex-Gambian dictator seized by authorities

The US government has seized a mansion belonging to former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, the same week that the Gambian government announced they will prosecute him for crimes committed under his regime including murder.

In a statement, the US Department of Justice announced that it had seized the $3.5 million (€3.3 million) property, which had been acquired with alleged proceeds from corruption.

The property, located in the state of Maryland, was purchased through a trust set up by Jammeh’s wife, Zineb Jammeh, the statement said.

“Yahya Jammeh corruptly obtained millions of dollars through the misappropriation of stolen public funds and the solicitation of bribes from businesses seeking to obtain monopoly rights over various sectors of the Gambian economy,” read the statement. “Jammeh conspired with his family members and close associates to utilise a host of shell companies and overseas trusts to launder his alleged corrupt proceeds throughout the world.”

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Jammeh (57) took control of the small west African country in a bloodless coup in 1994, and stayed in power until 2017, when he lost an election and fled to exile in Equatorial Guinea, where he remains. Equatorial Guinea has no extradition treaty with Gambia, so it is unclear whether he will ever face an in-person trial or prison time.

Witch hunts

During his time in power, Jammeh is accused of overseeing the deaths of at least 240 people, while promoting fake cures for HIV and infertility, and ordering witch hunts, which involved citizens being rounded up and forced to drink a hallucinogenic liquid at gunpoint. A truth and reconciliation commission lasted nearly three years, holding public hearings and interviewing hundreds of Jammeh’s victims. Its final report — in which it recommended Jammeh’s prosecution — was submitted to the government last November.

Gambia has only had three presidents since independence from Britain in 1965. The latest, Adama Barrow, was re-elected last December for a second term.

In 2015, when Jammeh was in power, the World Bank said more than 10 per cent of Gambians were living below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day (€1.77).

The Maryland property will be sold and the proceeds will go to benefit Gambian citizens harmed by Jammeh, according to the US Department of Justice.

“The Department of Justice is committed to using the rule of law to forfeit assets traceable to alleged foreign corruption,” said assistant attorney general Kenneth A Polite jnr.

“This case demonstrates our ability to work with foreign partners to secure the forfeiture of assets allegedly derived from illicit bribes and stolen funds despite complex attempts to disguise the proceeds and their intended recipients.”