[ 2017-01-23 ]

Mr Jammeh flew out of The Gambia on Saturday after long talks with regional leaders

$11m Missing From The Gambia's State Coffers After Jammeh Exile
More than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The
Gambia's state coffers following the departure of
long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to
President Adama Barrow has said.

Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying
to evaluate the exact loss.

Luxury cars and other items were reportedly loaded
on to a Chadian cargo plane as Mr Jammeh left the
country.

Mr Jammeh has not commented and the BBC has not
independently verified the claims.

After 22 years in power, Mr Jammeh flew into exile
on Saturday.

He had refused to accept election results but
finally left after mediation by regional leaders
and the threat of military intervention.

President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal
and it is not clear when he will return.

However, West African troops entered the Gambian
capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his
arrival.

Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House
to watch soldiers secure the building.

The Senegalese general leading the joint force
from five African nations said they were
controlling "strategic points to ensure the safety
of the population and facilitate... Mr Barrow's
assumption of his role".

Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital
Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress.

"The coffers are virtually empty," he said. "It
has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry
of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia."

He said Mr Jammeh had made off with more than $11m
in the past two weeks alone.

Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia's main
airport had been told not to let any of Mr
Jammeh's belongings leave the country.

Reports said some of the former leader's goods
were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his
journey into exile.

Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial
Guinea, although authorities there have not
confirmed it.

The former leader had initially accepted Mr
Barrow's election win on 1 December, but later
alleged "irregularities" and called for a fresh
vote.

The move was internationally condemned and the
UN-backed Economic Community of West African
States (Ecowas) issued an ultimatum for him to
quit or be removed by force.

Source - BBC

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