Jammeh Confiscated Baba Jobe’s Properties

By Dawda Faye

ASP Delo Baldeh has said before the Janneh Commission that Baba Jobe’s properties were taken by the former president, Yahya Jammeh.

Mr. Baldeh, a member of the police investigating team of the Janneh Commission, also explained how the former president acquired a plot of land at Talinding which he said was acquired through the community of Talinding.

Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh

He explained that there was a letter addressed by the alkalo of Talinding, Alhajie Ebou Bajie, to the former president following his consent for the allocation of the said plot of land to him.

Officials of the Departments of Lands and Survey, Physical Planning, Gambia Tourism Board also continued to present more properties owned by the former president.

The power point presented by Bunja Janneh, displayed over 50 properties acquired by the former president and his business enterprise, Kanilai Family Farm within the Kanifing Municipal Council and West Coast Region respectively.

ASP Baldeh further revealed that the building located at Kanifing Industrial Estate occupied by Kanilai Family Farms along the Banjul highway was also acquired by Jammeh as well as Maintenance Service Garage at the same location which formerly belonged to one Mbye Njie and Sons for maintenance service which was assigned between AMRC and KFF.

Commission also heard that Jammeh bought a property of land belonging to Baba Jobe to the tune of D5million after an assignment between one Momodou Fofona and KFF.

According to ASP Badeh, one of Mr. Jobe’s properties located at Kotu West was also acquired by the former president through a deal between him and Tida Jaiteh-Jobe, the wife of Baba Jobe, who said she was forced to sell the property.

ASP Delo Baldeh at that point explained that all the properties they had come across, there was an authority from the former president including that of late Baba Jobe’s properties.

Continuing with the list of properties within KMC, Mr. Baldeh told the commission that there was another owned by the former president which is opposite the Kotu property, noting that one Marian Omar Sallah owned a property which was allocated to Baba Jobe, and it was also taken by the former president despite the fact that it was not assigned to him.

According to Baldeh, there was an authority from the former president to one Pa Bojang to transfer all his (Jammeh’s) properties to KFF including Baba Jobe’s properties; adding that the president had a land situated at Kololi which was occupied by one Haruna Tamba, and assigned to Baba Jobe’s daughter.

On the property at Cape Point, he told the commission that it was owned by Baba Jobe and assigned to one Fatou Ceesay but was taken by the former president while the property at Bakau (a super market) was also owned by the former president and there was a title deed. He testified that the property was sold for D8, 000,000.

Further testifying, he revealed that Ndeban Clinic was owned by the former president and it measured 30,000 square metres, noting that it was sold by the High Court for $150,000 and is occupied by one Bully but the clinic is not operational.

On the property at James Baker’s Street at Bakau, he said it was bought by KFF for D3,000,000 and was occupied by one Sierra Leonean; adding that the property at Bakau Newtown is an empty land and there is a deed of assignment, and that it was sold to KFF for D2,000,000.

With regard to the property at Fajara South Atlantic, he stated that it is an empty land and was sold to KFF for D2.7 million, noting that at Cape Point around Sunwing Hotel, the former president had a property measuring 11.9 hectares.

According to him, at Cape Point, there was a certificate of purchase for the land owned by the former president with 1000 square metres and was bought for D4,000,000 through the Sheriff Division. He added that there was an assignment between Ansoumana Kujabi and KFF.

Mr. Baldeh informed the commission that the former president also had another land at Cape Point in the name of his mother, Ajaratou Fatou Asombi Bojang, who purchased it from Ismaila Kabba Sambou which measures 1500 square metres.

He testified that there was another property owned by the former president assigned to Abdou Assan Kaira and was owned by Baba Jobe but taken by the former president and it is now a developed property and occupied as well.

At this juncture, documents relating to the properties owned by the former president were tendered and admitted in evidence.

Dwelling on Kombo South- East properties owned by the former president, he said the Njambai Forest property belongs to the former president but it was formerly owned by Dr. Lenrie Peters who sold it to KFF and was transferred to the former president.

On Siffoe Garden property, the witness told the commission that it was allocated by Alagie Malick Demba to the former president situated at the sea side but it is not fenced. He added that the Gunjur property owned by the former president is fenced and the length is from Medina Salam to Gunjur.

Mr. Baldeh further revealed that there was another Medina Salam property owned by the former president which he visited and showed interest but the community denied him but he gave out money and acquired it.

He said the former president also had a property at Sambuyaa, further stating that he also had another property at Sanyang Kairaba which the former president claimed to be the owner.

Other properties, according to him, are Scan Gambia, Santamba at Sanyang, Sanyang quarry, Tanji River side property as well as another property in Kombo South which he acquired after demolishing some compounds in the area.

Sittings continue

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