US Returns $2.5m From Jammeh Mansion Sale to Gambia for Victims
The United States is returning more than $2.5 million recovered from the sale of a mansion linked to former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, with the funds set to compensate victims of his regime.
The US Department of Justice said on Friday that $2,507,911.73 in net proceeds from the sale of the property in Potomac, Maryland, had been returned to The Gambia. The funds will be used to compensate eligible victims under the Gambian Victims Reparations Act of 2023.
The Justice Department said Jammeh and his wife, Zineb Jammeh, used criminal proceeds and misappropriated Gambian public funds to purchase the mansion for their personal use.
US authorities alleged that Jammeh obtained millions of dollars through the embezzlement of public funds and bribes from businesses seeking monopoly rights in various sectors of the Gambian economy. They also alleged that he and associates used shell companies and overseas trusts to launder the proceeds.
The property was forfeited by the US government following a civil case and subsequently sold. The returned money represents the net proceeds after the liquidation of the mansion.
The transfer marks part of international efforts to recover assets linked to Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia for 22 years before leaving office in 2017.
The Gambian government has established a reparations programme for people harmed during his rule. The programme covers victims of corruption and other abuses and is administered under the country’s 2023 reparations law.
The US Justice Department said the asset recovery was facilitated by cooperation between American and Gambian authorities.
“This return … demonstrates the impact of HSI’s illicit finance investigations and our enduring partnerships to identify, seize, and return stolen assets for the benefit of victims harmed by corruption,” said John A. Condon, acting executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations.
