The APRC leader said they could not challenge the forfeiture of the assets of their leader Yahya Jammeh because of financial difficulty facing the party. “We would have sought a court injunction against the forfeiture,” said Fabakary Tombong Jatta on Friday.
The leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has accused the Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou of deliberate campaigns to ruin their party.
The APRC leadership held a press conference on Friday to address various developments affecting the party including the forfeiture of the assets of their founder leader Yahya Jammeh, allegations of rape against Jammeh, arrest and prosecution of Yankuba Touray, among others.
Gambia’s former president Jammeh who is accused of several human rights violations have been investigated by Janneh Commission and found to have allegedly stolen over D1 billion. The Justice Minister then took an interim measure to take over all assets belonging to the former ruler.
However, Jatta said the decision of the Justice Minister against Jammeh was “selective, hasty, ill-advised and illegal”
“The forfeiture of the assets of the former President Yahya Jammeh is selective, hasty, ill-advised and illegal… Attorney General continues to ill-advise the President against the APRC and Babili Mansa,” said Jatta.
Jatta said the Commission is not a court and cannot authorize forfeiture of assets belonging to the former President.
Meanwhile, the APRC leader has rubbished allegations of rape against their former ruler as baseless. Jammeh has been accused by several women of rape but the party said those allegations are a smear campaign against their leader.
The APRC leader also criticized the arrest of former junta member Yankuba Touray as an improper application of the law.
“We stand in solidarity with Yankuba,” said Jatta. Touray was invited to testify before the Truth Commission but he declined on claims that he has a constitutional immunity. Touray faces several allegations of killings and torture.
The Commission ordered his arrest and charge him with contempt. However, the Justice Minister later charged the former junta member with murder.
Touray returns to court on Monday when he is expected to take a plea on his murder charges.
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