By Kebba AF Touray
The special select committee probing the assets of former President Yahya AJJ Jammeh has given Accountant General Agnes Macaulay Jagne a 24-hour ultimatum to produce documents requested by lawmakers.
The decision came after what the committee described as repeated delays in her responses to its summons. As Accountant General, Jagne is the chief accounting officer of government, the paymaster and receiver general of revenues, and is responsible for ensuring that all monies collected are properly banked and accounted for.
She appeared before the committee with bank statements from Trust Bank, cover letters, dollar and dalasi accounts of the Janneh Commission, and payment slips, among other documents. But Counsel Aji Saine Kah pointed out that Jagne responded to a summons dated July 3, 2025 — with a reply deadline of July 14 — only on July 28, seven weeks after the deadline.
“It was to do with the collation. And the fact that these documents, we’ve been having requests from different sectors on them. And they were moving from one entity to the other, at any time the Justice Ministry requests documents, and then all of a sudden we had another request from the select committee. So the running around was a lot. And in essence it had a lot to do with the delay,” Jagne explained.
Kah pressed her on whether her office submitted originals or duplicates. Jagne replied, “In some instances we would give them, depending on what it is, for safe custody. Sometimes they would not want to have the duplicate copies, and we would give them originals.”
Kah asked what other reasons explained the delay. Jagne said collating the files was also an issue. “Some of these documents are not in one place, and some of them, they were involved to a certain extent and not in all of it. So before we even know where to get the documents, we have to sit and do some work, and then do some findings before we know exactly where to and can do in terms of looking for the documents,” she said.
Kah challenged her: “So essentially you’re saying that the accountant general does not do well with record keeping?” Jagne disagreed. “What I am saying is that if we were not involved in the matter and we were asked to produce, it would take a long time before we can produce the documents that are being requested.”
She acknowledged that in instances where her office was not part of the process, producing the documents could take longer.
The committee reminded her of the scope of the summons. Jagne read aloud: “You are hereby summoned to produce copies of all documents, records, correspondences, or any other material in your possession, custody or control relating to the subject matter of the inquiry, including but not limited to the receipts of the sale and disposal of vehicles of the former president, Yahya AJJ Jammeh.”
Kah noted that Jagne’s submission on August 20, 2022, did not include receipts. “So automatically, I know that that is not all that relates to this,” Jagne admitted.
Kah also pointed to a letter dated August 21, 2025, inviting her to meet investigators, which she ignored, followed by another on September 4 for a September 10 appearance. “You failed to do so,” Kah told her.
Jagne explained she was on vacation at the time of the first letter. Kah pressed further: “The committee had issued two invitations to appear before the investigative panel, and a delay of over ten weeks, and still, there is no sufficient information from your office in this committee. No letter to apologize for the delay, you did not try to correct your mistakes.”
Kah warned she might apply for contempt unless Jagne gave concrete reasons. “I ask, give me reasons why I should not make such an application to this committee?”
Jagne said it was the first time her office had dealt with such a process. “It’s lack of understanding of the procedure,” she said.
Committee chair Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay expressed frustration. “I think at some point I have to call and say, why is the actual letter not coming, and you haven’t even faced the investigators to give a statement. That is serious.”
He then issued the order. “I think this committee is going to conclude on one thing…we will order you to produce all the documents relating to the Janneh Commission within 24 hours.”
The committee gave her until today to comply.
