Truth on Trial: Why the Lawsuit Against Alhaji Mamadi Kurang Should Alarm Every Gambian

On the surface, it’s a defamation case, a legal demand to silence one man who has, for years, consistently criticised how the Janneh Commission handled its mandate. But dig deeper, and you’ll find that the D144 million lawsuit filed by Amie Bensouda against Alhagie Mamadi Kurang is not just about reputational damage. It is about who gets to control the story of post-Jammeh justice in The Gambia.

Alhagie Mamadi Kurang was not just a bystander. He was Secretary to the Janneh Commission, entrusted with overseeing the sale of assets seized from former President Yahya Jammeh. Amie Bensouda was the operation’s lead counsel and legal face. Both were central to one of the most significant processes in The Gambia’s recent history, a process that was meant to restore justice and accountability after 22 years of dictatorship and looting.

But now, the very people who led that effort are at war, not over legal principles, but over what really happened behind closed doors.

According to Bensouda’s legal team, Kurang has engaged in a “seven-year campaign of defamation,” using social media, interviews, and public commentary to imply that she benefited from shady dealings during the asset recovery process. His accusations, often couched in innuendo and coded language, include claims of corruption, conflict of interest, and political interference.

Her response? An 8-page cease and desist notice threatening a D144 million lawsuit, backed by a team of lawyers, and reportedly with additional legal action pending in the UK against Meta (Facebook). It’s a dramatic escalation, and a clear signal: question us at your peril.

But here is the deeper concern: when justice becomes too delicate to question, it becomes too weak to protect us.

This lawsuit doesn’t just seek to defend one person’s reputation. It sends a chilling message to anyone who dares to interrogate the mechanics of state-sponsored processes, even those built in the name of transparency. It attempts to turn public memory into private property. It tells Gambians: “Your truth must be vetted before it is spoken.”

And yet, Kurang is not a nobody. He is a former public servant, a trained accountant, and a citizen who was entrusted with public duty. Whether you agree with his tone or not, he has a right, even a duty, to speak on matters of national interest, especially those involving public funds, public offices, and transitional justice.

As Lead Counsel, Bensouda cannot escape scrutiny either. Her role came with legal authority, influence, and moral responsibility. If internal processes were flawed or if whistleblowers were pushed aside, then that is also a leadership failure, not just administrative oversight. Her own statement from 2018 shows that she demanded Kurang be removed because of “negative feelings” and “perceptions”, yet those perceptions may now reflect what the public deserves to know.

Indeed, the facts back up Kurang’s concerns. Here’s what the National Audit Office (NAO) found in their 2020 audit report on the sale of Jammeh’s assets:

Here are the facts:

The NAO requested essential documents such as:

-Bidding documents

-Public advertisements

-Valuation reports

-Auctioneer licenses

None of these were provided. The audit team concluded this casts “doubt on the entire process.”

The implications are serious:

-Lack of transparency and accountability

-Potential misstatement of financial records in government books

The auditors flagged constitutional violations:

-Breach of Financial Regulations and the Constitution

-The Ministry of Justice repeatedly failed to provide the required documentation

Of the D706 million declared as asset sale proceeds, only D40 million was verifiably received. The rest remains unaccounted for.

So, what exactly is President Barrow waiting for?

The NAO has already declared the investigation obstructed due to deliberate withholding of documents. This isn’t a pending investigation, it’s an obstructed one. And the Office of the President knows it.

Alhaji Kurang has been consistent in his pronouncements, and now, he has been allowed to tell Gambians what he knows. There is a lot we do not know, and we deserve to know. This is our chance to finally hear what was silenced, ignored, or brushed under the rug.

If saying “Guptas” and “Mafia” upsets some, then let them ask themselves why. Who the cap fits, let them wear it.

Fee ken du fi ragal. If Alhaji Kurang is wrong, let him suffer the consequences. But if he is right, he must not be intimidated by anyone, legal luminary or not. This is not about pride. It is not about ego. This is about The Gambia, and getting to the truth.

Let us also remember, when they ganged up to remove Kurang from the Janneh Commission, where were the voices shouting “justice” today? Where were the defenders of transparency then?

Silence! Complicity! Indifference!

Yes, Alhaji might be an acquired taste. He may be confrontational, he may lack polish. But that’s who he is, and he has been consistent. Until I know otherwise, I stand by him.

Period!!