U.S. seeks recovery of $3.5M ‘looted’ by ex-President Jammeh of Gambia
U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture
complaint seeking the forfeiture of a Maryland property acquired with
approximately $3,500,000 in corruption proceeds by the ex-president of The
Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, through a trust set up by his wife, Zineb Jammeh.
According to 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.
The complaint further alleges that Yahya Jammeh conspired
with his family members and close associates to utilize a host of shell
companies and overseas trusts to launder his corrupt proceeds throughout the
world, including through the purchase of a multimillion-dollar mansion in
Potomac, Maryland, which the United States seeks to forfeit through the filing
of the civil forfeiture complaint.
“Yahya Jammeh is a former president of The Gambia who allegedly
plundered hundreds of millions of dollars from his country and laundered part
of those funds to corruptly acquire real estate in the United States,” said
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt.
“Our action today highlights the tireless work of the
Criminal Division’s Kleptocracy Initiative and their global law enforcement
partners to protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system and recover the
ill-gotten gains of corrupt officials.”
“Ex-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh and his wife thought that
they could hide funds stolen from the Gambian people by buying a mansion in
Potomac, Maryland,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur for the District of
Maryland.
“This action demonstrates that the United States will not
allow criminals to profit from their crimes and will seek justice for crime
victims both here and abroad.”
“The seizure of this property is just another example of our
continued efforts to protect the U.S. financial infrastructure by denying a
safe haven for foreign kleptocrats,” said Acting Executive Associate Director
Alysa Erichs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI).
“HSI will not tolerate our country being used by foreign
officials to hide their corrupt activities and launder their illicit proceeds.”
The investigation was conducted by HSI’s Illicit Proceeds
and Foreign Corruption Group in Miami, with the assistance of the HSI Office of
the Special Agent in Charge for Baltimore and the HSI Attaché Office in Dakar.
HSI established this group in 2003 to conduct investigations into the
laundering of proceeds emanating from foreign public corruption, bribery and
embezzlement. HSI’s goal is to prevent foreign-derived, ill-gotten gains from
entering the U.S. financial infrastructure.
The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Steven Parker
and Kaycee Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset
Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Wine for the District of
Maryland.
Substantial assistance was provided by the government of The
Gambia and Michael Quinley of the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas
Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training.
HSI Miami Illicit Proceeds and Foreign Corruption
Investigations Group was established in 2003 to target corrupt foreign
officials around the world that attempt to utilize U.S. financial institutions
to launder illicit funds. Since inception, the group has seized over $500
million in ill-gotten gains traced to foreign corruption. To report suspicious
activity, reach out to your local HSI office or call 1-866-347-2423.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team
of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset
Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and
often with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official
corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the
people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that
money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime.
These allegations are not proven until a court awards
judgment in favour of the United States.
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