The assets of Gambia’s former dictator, go for a song!
April 30, 2025, Mustapha K. Darboe
Mustapha K. Darboe
Ignoring better offers on the sale of aircraft!
In 2018 and 2019, the Gambia government sold five aircraft left behind by the former dictator to a popular businessman, Momodou Turo Darboe, for $740 000 without any form of bidding, according to records. In July 2020, former finance minister Mambury Njie told lawmakers that the “… planes were bought through an offer made by the intended buyer and not by bidding.”
Njie claimed before lawmakers that though other offers were made, they were too minimal to be mentioned. However, available evidence points to the contrary.
The records obtained by The Republic show several offers by agents and potential buyers of the state aircraft that were better than offers made by Darboe. About 8 months before the Ministry of Finance under Amadou Sanneh sold Jammeh’s two agricultural spraying aircraft to Turo Darboe for $240, 000— the West Africa Aero Services had offered to buy the two jets for €240 000. The difference between the two offers is at least D1.6m in Dalasi value. When contacted by The Republic in January 2024, Sanneh claimed he was not aware of the sale of the aircraft, though it was sold in May 2018, a month before he was moved to the Ministry of Trade.
At least seven months before the US-based Viridis Aviation Partners valued the aircraft, the company offered to sell them. It only charges the government 7.5% of the total sale value of the plane, which is between $1.6m and $2.2 m.
“Using a commission-based remuneration, we aim to alleviate the unnecessary burden of having to further invest in an asset that you have already decided to dispose of, whilst at the same time guaranteeing a maximum possible return on the asset by pegging our fees against sales value,” said Virdis in a letter to Gambia’s presidency and the office of the secretary-general.
In July 2017, another US-based aircraft maintenance company that had previously worked on one of the aircraft— B727 C5–GOG— offered to serve as an agent to sell it for an 8% commission. According to the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, this VIP-configured aircraft made its last flight in December 2016. In a letter to Gambia’s presidency, Stamburg Aviation in Georgia, US, said the aircraft could fetch up to $1.7m, though it formed part of the three aircraft the government sold to Darboe for $500 000.
When contacted for comment, former minister Njie referred The Republic to Yahya Drammeh, a deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, who said he coordinated the sale. Drammeh also referred the Publication to Malick Jagne of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, who he said “ made all the recommendations and assessments.” Jagne noted that while the GCCA made the “evaluation and recommendations,” the Ministry decided to sell the aircraft, adding that the government had also failed to determine whether to sell the plane on time.
Thank you for being a part of the OPEN GAMBIA PLATFORM community. Mustapha K. Darboe contributed to the article that was published by therepublic.gm Investigation Journal on April 30, 2025! Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheOpenGambiaPlatform!
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“This story was supported by Code for Africa and funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).”
