Africa-Press – Gambia. Mrs. Amie Bensouda and Mamadi Kurang
Amie Bensouda, one of The Gambia’s leading legal practitioners and former lead counsel to the Janneh Commission, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Alhaji Mamadi Kurang, the commission’s former executive secretary. The lawsuit, submitted to the High Court in Bakau, seeks substantial damages for statements deemed defamatory to Bensouda’s professional reputation.
The suit, filed on Monday before Hon. Justice Adenike J. Coker, was brought by Antouman A.B. Gaye & Co. on Bensouda’s behalf. It follows a cease and desist letter issued earlier this year demanding a retraction and apology from Kurang for public comments—many of which appeared on social media—criticizing Bensouda’s conduct during her tenure at the commission.
In the letter, Bensouda’s legal team warned Kurang that his remarks had caused serious harm to her “national and international reputation,” and threatened legal action seeking up to D144 million (approximately USD $2.4 million) in damages if he failed to comply within seven days. The demands included a permanent takedown of all allegedly defamatory content and the publication of a full retraction and apology.
Kurang has rejected the allegations and mounted a vigorous legal defense, including a defamation countersuit.
Represented by A.J. Njie & Associates, Kurang has filed his own claim against Ms. Combeh Gaye, a partner at Bensouda’s law firm. He is seeking D200 million in damages and a public apology for what he says were defamatory statements made against him in the May 16 cease and desist notice, in which he was allegedly described as a “fraud.”
Kurang maintains that his remarks concerning Bensouda’s role in the Janneh Commission were constitutionally protected speech on matters of public concern. His legal team argues that given Bensouda’s high-profile public role, her conduct is open to legitimate scrutiny and criticism.
“Mr. Kurang asserts that his comments were factual, made in good faith, and aimed at advancing transparency and public accountability,” his lawyers said in a statement. They added that the language used by Bensouda’s legal team in their warning letter constituted defamatory attacks that damaged his personal and professional standing.
As of Monday afternoon, Kurang’s legal representatives confirmed they had not yet received formal service of the court documents from Bensouda’s camp.
The legal dispute pits two key figures from The Gambia’s post-authoritarian transitional justice process against one another. Both were central to the work of the Janneh Commission, which was established in 2017 to investigate financial misconduct under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh.
The twin lawsuits now set the stage for a high-profile courtroom battle with broader implications for free speech, public accountability, and the legacy of one of the country’s most consequential truth-seeking bodies.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
