US Returns $2.5m to The Gambia from Sale of Ex-President Jammeh’s Mansion

The United States Department of Justice is returning approximately $2.5m in corruption proceeds to the Republic of The Gambia to compensate victims of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Jammeh and his wife, Zineb Jammeh, used misappropriated public funds and criminal proceeds to acquire a luxury mansion in Potomac, Maryland, for their personal use.

The United States government subsequently forfeited and liquidated the property located at 9908 Bentcross Drive under civil forfeiture proceedings in federal district court.

Federal prosecutors alleged that the former Gambian leader accumulated millions of dollars through public embezzlement and by soliciting bribes from commercial entities seeking monopoly rights in The Gambia. To conceal the illicit funds, Jammeh collaborated with family members and close associates to operate a network of shell companies and offshore trusts across the globe.

Regarding the initial enforcement actions, the Department of Justice stated, “The Department of Justice is returning approximately $2.5 million in corruption proceeds to the Republic of The Gambia to be used to compensate victims of the Jammeh regime. Yahya Jammeh, the former President of The Gambia, and his wife, Zineb Jammeh, used criminal proceeds and misappropriated Gambian public funds to purchase a mansion in Potomac, Maryland, for their personal use. The Department of Justice forfeited and liquidated that property in United States v. Real Property Located in Potomac, MD, Commonly Known as 9908 Bentcross Drive, 8:20-cv-2071 (D. Md.)”.

The liquidation of the Maryland real estate resulted in a net total of $2,507,911.73 being returned to The Gambia following extensive international cooperation. Under a formal agreement between the two nations, the funds will be disbursed to eligible victims pursuant to the Gambian Victims Reparations Act of 2023. This legislative framework was established specifically to assist individuals harmed by corruption and abuse of power during Jammeh’s presidency.

Detailing the underlying allegations and recovery process, official documentation highlighted, “As alleged in the complaint, Yahya Jammeh corruptly obtained millions of dollars through the embezzlement of public funds and the solicitation of bribes from businesses seeking to obtain monopoly rights over various sectors of the Gambian economy.

“Jammeh conspired with his family members and close associates to utilise a host of shell companies and overseas trusts to launder his corrupt proceeds throughout the world. The recovered funds from the sale of the mansion in Potomac, Maryland, resulted in the return of $2,507,911.73 in net proceeds to The Gambia based on the valuable assistance of officials of The Gambia in cooperation with the United States, which facilitated the successful forfeiture.”

The investigation was spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations through its Illicit Proceeds and Foreign Corruption Group in Miami, alongside HSI Baltimore and the HSI Attaché Office in Dakar. Additional support was provided by the State Department, the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and Gambian government officials. Trial Attorneys Steven Parker and Kaycee Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section managed the legal proceedings.