The chairperson of the Commission, Justice Mama Fatima Singhateh made this order Monday during the Commission sitting, following the absence of the director of Lands to attend and provide certain information to the Commission.

The Commission noted that a summons was issued for the attendance of the director of Lands yesterday, but the said director was not present and no reason was given for his non-attendance. He delegated one H. Jallow to appear before the Commission and could not provide any useful information requested by the Commission.

H. Jallow, the principal land evaluation officer who informed the Commission that the director of Lands and Survey was in another court, could not explain how certain information pertaining to how the market value of land in Banjul as per square meter was arrived at.

As the Commission continued to pose several questions to Jallow, all he could say was that he was the very officer who prepared the data he brought to the Commission.

Justice Mama Fatima Singhateh subsequently ordered that the director of Lands and Survey be arrested and brought before the Commission on Wednesday 28th March 2012 to show cause as to why he should not be cited for contempt for failing to answer to the summons and to further testify as to the rationale behind the minimum valuation of the designated areas provided by the Department of Lands and Survey.