AfricaDiplomacyHuman RightsInternationalSecurity

Former first lady of Gambia sanctioned by US

Zineb Jammeh is suspected to have helped her husband, Yahya Jammeh, to launder money abroad during his time as president

Zineb Jammeh, the wife of the former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, has been sanctioned by the United States.

The former first lady allegedly helped her husband to transfer money illegally and controlled his assets abroad.

Jammeh was ousted from office in 2017 after holding power in Gambia for almost 22 years. The country’s Ministry of Justice later disclosed that he and his wife stole approximately US$50 million while he was president.

Jammeh was also accused of extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detentions, though he has denied all the allegations.

He was forcefully removed from office by the military when he refused to accept defeat in the December 2016 elections.

Accomplice to money laundering?

Announcing the sanctions on Zineb Jammeh, the US Treasury said she had helped her husband to launder money abroad.

The statement said the former president “used a number of corrupt schemes to plunder The Gambia’s state coffers or otherwise siphon off state funds for his personal gain”.

On his wife’s part, the statement said: “Zineb has reportedly been instrumental in aiding and abetting Jammeh’s economic crimes against the country, and despite numerous calls for Zineb to intervene, she has turned a blind eye to Jammeh’s human rights abuses.”

In addition, she is alleged to have used a charitable foundation as cover to transfer her husband’s funds abroad illegally.

“Zineb is also believed to be in charge of most of Jammeh’s assets around the world, and utilised a charitable foundation as cover to facilitate the illicit transfer of funds to her husband,” the US Treasury said.

Frozen assets

Early this year it was revealed that Jammeh owned a US$3.5 million mansion in the East Coast state of Maryland, bought through a trust established by Zineb Jammeh.

Zineb Jammeh, former first lady of Gambia

All her assets in the United States have been frozen and residents of the US have been banned from selling any property to her.

Jammeh first came to power in 1994 in a coup d’état. He held on to the office until he was ousted by the armed forces in 2017.

Although he made Gambia a major destination for tourism in Africa, his tenure was marred by human right issues and deep-seated corruption.

E A Alanore

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