By Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly’s Special Select Committee has requested the General Manager of the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC), Mr. Seedy Kanyi, to submit documents detailing the purchase of 70 vehicles under the company’s custody.
Mr. Kanyi made his second appearance before the Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into the sale and disposal of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets, identified by the Janneh Commission. In his testimony, Kanyi clarified that the number of vehicles involved in the valuation exercise was 70, not 26 as initially mentioned. These included various types of buses and other vehicles located across different sites including the State House, Fajara, Kotu Maintenance Services, and Kanilai.
During the inquiry’s question-and-answer session, Hon. Kebba Lang Fofana requested Kanyi to provide documents related to the vehicle transactions, specifically referring to a document marked “MOJ 8A2.” Hon. Fofana asked, “What does the date indicated in the document mean, and what was the actual year of purchase of the vehicles?”
Kanyi responded that the date in the document represented the assessment date by GTSC and said the company did not know the actual year the vehicles were purchased.
Hon. Fofana also questioned how GTSC was able to depreciate the value of the vehicles without knowing the purchase year. “Tell us what basis did you use for depreciation with regards to cost recovery, and how did you establish the accounting value?” he asked.
In reply, Kanyi stated that the vehicles were manufactured in 2003, and as of 2018, they were already 15 years old. However, Hon. Fofana pointed out that the depreciation appeared to start in 2025 in the document before the committee, despite the supposed manufacturing year being 2018. He questioned the accuracy of the records, stating, “Based on the document we have, is it correct?”
Kanyi explained that it was difficult to determine the acquisition dates due to the unavailability of records from the former president’s office. Hon. Fofana concluded that GTSC’s valuation did not reflect the actual market value of the vehicles and formally requested the production of records detailing the real value.
In a related concern, Hon. Suwaibou Touray questioned the disappearance of bus parts. “How did the parts go missing, and could they have been used in other GTSC or private vehicles?” he asked.
Kanyi denied such a possibility, saying GTSC is a reputable company and would not engage in such conduct, adding that the missing parts were not compatible with the company’s operational vehicles.
The Committee’s inquiry into Jammeh assets disposal continues.
