U.S. DOJ recovers $2.5m in corruption proceeds for victims of former Gambia president

The United States Department of Justice has returned about $2.5 million in corruption proceeds to The Gambia to compensate victims of former president Yahya Jammeh, Peoples Gazette reports.

The funds came from the forfeiture and sale of a Potomac, Maryland mansion that Jammeh and his wife, Zineb, bought with embezzled public funds and bribes solicited from businesses seeking monopoly rights in Gambia’s economy. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said the return reflects commitment to recovering illicit proceeds for victims.

The $2,507,911.73 payout will compensate victims under the Gambian Victims Reparations Act of 2023, following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations units in Miami, Baltimore and Dakar.