𝐁𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞

Former Gambian Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Marie Tambadou, popularly known as “Ba Tambadou,” has demanded a public apology from investigative journalist Mustapha K. Darboe over what he described as “false and defamatory” claims published by The Republic in April 2025 regarding the disposal of assets linked to former President Yahya Jammeh.

In a lengthy open letter dated 18 May 2026, Tambadou accused Darboe and The Republic of publishing allegations that falsely portrayed him as acting unlawfully and dishonestly in matters relating to the management and sale of Jammeh assets.

Former Gambian Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Marie Tambadou

The former Attorney General said the article titled “The Assets of Gambia’s Former Dictator Go for a Song” wrongly accused him of manipulating a court decision, unlawfully terminating a court-appointed receiver, unilaterally appointing Alpha Barry as receiver, involving a friend or future spouse in the sale of assets, and personally offering the “Sompo Ceesay” family the opportunity to repurchase property.

The article in question that Tambedou demands apology for | Photo @Screen grab from The Republic

Photo: Screen grab from The Republic

Tambadou rejected all allegations, insisting that the decisions referenced in the report were made collectively by Cabinet, the Ministerial Taskforce, and other government authorities in line with legal procedures and recommendations from the Janneh Commission.

According to him, the Republic article ignored evidence and explanations he had provided before publication, including information from government officials and public records.

“The article conveyed the impression that I acted dishonestly, alone, and without lawful authority which you knew to be false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth,” Tambadou wrote.

He further argued that the publication caused serious reputational damage, public hostility, online harassment, and emotional distress to him and his family. Tambadou also claimed the article negatively affected his international standing and contributed to petitions opposing his candidature for a judge position at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The former minister defended his record in government, highlighting his role in democratic reforms, transitional justice, and media law reforms, including the repeal of criminal defamation and sedition laws during his tenure.

Tambadou accused Darboe of abusing press freedom and failing to uphold the standards of responsible journalism.

“While I am a passionate supporter of free media, I also will not condone defamation disguised as investigation,” he stated.

In the letter, Tambadou demanded that Darboe and The Republic issue a public apology within fourteen days, remove or correct the alleged defamatory statements, and ensure the content is withdrawn from platforms where it was shared.

He warned that failure to comply could lead to “further action.”

The open letter was copied to several institutions, including the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Gambia Press Union, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Media Council, and the Gambia Bar Association.

As of the time of publication, Mustapha K. Darboe and The Republic had not publicly responded to the demands outlined in the letter.