US bars entry of Gambia's ex-leader Jammeh
Former president blacklisted for significant corruption
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
The U.S. is barring entry of former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh for significant corruption, the State Department said Monday.
The agency issued a statement that said Jammeh, along with his wife, daughter
Jammeh ruled the country for 22 years since leading a coup in 1994. He lost a democratic election to Adama
He refused to step down, however, which prompted a military threat by the African Union and the West African regional body ECOWAS. He fled to Equatorial Guinea in January 2017.
The Barrow government reported that Jammeh stole at least $50 million from the country while in office.
Jammeh, who attended a military training course in Alabama, owns real estate 15 miles from Washington D.C. in Potomac, Maryland.
An estate previously owned by Calbert Cheaney, a former American basketball player, was sold to the Jammeh family trust in 2010 for $3.5 million, according to public records.
"The United States stands with the government of The Gambia, its people, and civil society in support of The Gambia’s transition towards greater transparency, accountability, and democratic governance, for the benefit of all Gambians," the State Department said.
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