Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh used bribery proceeds and stolen government funds to buy a mansion in a suburb of Washington, D.C., U.S. authorities allege in a lawsuit seeking to seize the property.

According to documents presented as part of an effort to seize the property in the US capital, Mr Jammeh bought the $3.5m (£2.8m) house a decade ago.

He is said to have bought the property through a trust set up by his wife Zineb Jammeh.

The former president, who seized power in a coup in 1994 aged 29, ruled The Gambia for more than 20 years.

He fled the country after losing the 2017 elections and now lives in Equatorial Guinea.