Veteran Gambian lawyer and former Lead Counsel to the Janneh Commission, Senior Counsel Amie Bensouda, has filed a high-profile defamation lawsuit against Alhaji Mamadi Kurang, the former Secretary to the Janneh Commission. The civil suit, lodged at the High Court before Justice Adenike Coker in Bakau, seeks D144 million in exemplary damages, interest, and an injunction to stop Kurang from making further defamatory statements.
The suit, filed on June 25, 2025, stems from what Bensouda describes as a sustained and malicious online campaign by Kurang, which she alleges began after his removal from the Commission in July 2018. In her complaint, Bensouda contends that Kurang made false and damaging statements about her on Facebook and in media interviews, impugning her integrity, professionalism, and character.
According to the writ of summons, Kurang must respond within 30 days or risk a default judgment. Bensouda is requesting damages, 23% annual interest on the awarded amount until paid, D500,000 in legal costs, and a permanent injunction restraining Kurang and his associates from publishing further defamatory content on any platform.
Bensouda, who served as Lead Counsel to the Janneh Commission between July 2017 and March 2019, asserts that Kurang began a defamatory campaign following his dismissal as Secretary in August 2017. She accuses him of falsely alleging her involvement in criminal activity, corrupt practices, and misuse of public office, specifically during her time at the Commission investigating the financial dealings of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Among the most cited posts is a Facebook update from April 19, 2019, in which Kurang allegedly implied that Bensouda withheld evidence related to the death of former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay—a claim she vehemently denies.
Other notable posts referenced in the lawsuit include:
1. April 19, 2019, Facebook Post: Kurang allegedly published statements implying Bensouda had evidence related to the death of former Minister Koro Ceesay, a high-profile murder case investigated by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Bensouda asserts these statements are false, as she had no involvement in the investigation or the circumstances surrounding Ceesay’s death. The post read: “NO EVIDENCE!!!! THAT KORO CEESAY DIED BECAUSE OF $35 MILLION…. HOW ABOUT THE CRUDE OIL???? TRRC SHOULD CALL AMIE BENSOUDA TO PRODUCE THE CRUDE OIL FILE !!!!! STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH !!!!! YOU CAN’T FOOL US!!!!”
2. June 26, 2020, and June 27, 2020, Facebook Posts: Statements such as “The VICTIMS of Jammeh are still in Limbo while LAWYERS became wealthy beyond imagination” and “The Corrupt mafia and their agents under the guide of the corrupt lady sold the village boy (A small fish)…” are alleged to refer to Bensouda, her firm, and/or her family, implying dishonest and corrupt conduct during her engagement as lead counsel and ill-gotten wealth.
3. August 1, 2021, Facebook Post: Kurang wrote, “The same corruption that compromised the Janneh Commission and cost the taxpayers almost half a billion Dalasis just on Jammeh’s vehicles….. The mafia hijacked the transition.” Bensouda claims this refers to her and her professional conduct.
4. October 6, 2024, Facebook Posts: Kurang stated, “In 201,8 my team sold 43 tractors for D10.5million… a year late,r 154 tractors were sold by lawyers and their teams for D13 million (through a questionable non-transparent process). Just 2.5% difference. Now you can see why I was pushed out for the Mafia to take over.” He also posted, “Lol…. Musukumba was paid D500K per month to loot assets and build her empire,” with “Musukumba” understood to refer to Bensouda. These statements are interpreted to mean Bensouda and her team were responsible for dubious sales of assets and misappropriation of funds.
5 . May 4, 2025, May 9, 2025, and May 15, 2025, Facebook Posts: Statements such as “Inquiry into Jammeh’s Assets cannot be complete without Declaration of Assets by the Richest Woman in the Country” and “The woman investigating Jammeh Assets is all of a sudden the biggest Estate Dealer in Town” are alleged to refer to Bensouda, implying she conducted her role dishonestly and derived illicit financial gain.
6. May 12, 2025, Facebook Post: Kurang questioned what Bensouda and others knew “about half a million Dollars donation from Ford Foundation in America???”, suggesting she should be investigated.
Bensouda maintains that the statements made by Kurang are false, malicious, and deliberately intended to cause her reputational harm and legal trouble. She emphasizes that as the former Secretary to the Janneh Commission, Kurang possessed intimate knowledge of the Commission’s operations and was fully aware that she played no role in the valuation or sale of assets.
The plaintiff argues that the defamatory remarks have severely damaged her reputation, resulting in personal embarrassment and professional concern among her relatives, clients, colleagues, and business associates. She further contends that the reach of the defamatory content was significantly amplified through Kurang’s Facebook account—followed by approximately 17,000 users—and through his interviews and appearances on major Gambian news platforms such as The Fatu Network, Kerr Fatou, and Eye Africa TV, all of which featured or rebroadcast his allegations.
Between May 8 and May 10, 2025, Bensouda alleges that Kurang escalated his campaign by mobilizing a youth group known as Gambians Against Looted Assets, staging public protests concerning the alleged misappropriation of former President Jammeh’s assets, while simultaneously disseminating further defamatory content during a period of heightened national attention.
She asserts that the statements are defamatory per se, as they insinuate criminal behavior, dishonesty, and professional misconduct. Bensouda also argues that Kurang used veiled language and innuendo—deliberately avoiding direct references to her name—to evade legal accountability, while still making her identity unmistakably clear to his audience. Despite being served a cease and desist letter on May 16, 2025, Kurang allegedly continued to publish what Bensouda describes as “recalcitrant statements” and launched a social media campaign titled “In Solidarity with Kurang,” which frames her as the aggressor rather than the victim.
As part of the relief sought, Bensouda is petitioning the court to issue an injunction preventing Kurang from making or disseminating further defamatory remarks on any platform. In her supporting affidavit, Bensouda outlines her distinguished professional background, including her 44 years of legal practice, her role as founder of Amie Bensouda & Co. LP, her teaching position at the Gambia Law School since 2012, and her service on several corporate and public sector boards.
Bensouda underscored her firm’s longstanding reputation for ethical practice and professional integrity. She affirmed that her appointment as Lead Counsel to the Janneh Commission was made on July 24, 2017, by then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubacarr Tambadou.In a supporting affidavit, Abdul Aziz Bensouda—a partner at Amie Bensouda & Co. LP and son of the plaintiff—attested to his mother’s distinguished stature within the legal profession. He described Amie Bensouda & Co. LP as one of the largest and most respected law firms in The Gambia, employing ten legal practitioners and operating additional offices in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He further noted that the firm has maintained a Band 1 ranking in Chambers Global, a premier international legal directory, for the past 24 consecutive years—a recognition that underscores Mrs. Bensouda’s exceptional legal standing. Her international profile, he added, is also reflected in her Wikipedia listing, which documents her key professional achievements and public service roles, including her tenure as Lead Counsel to the Janneh Commission of Inquiry. The affidavit goes on to detail that beginning in 2019, Kurang—using a Facebook account with approximately 17,000 followers—allegedly began publishing posts that either explicitly referred to or were widely understood to refer to Mrs. Bensouda.
According to the affidavit, the posts falsely accused Mrs. Bensouda of engaging in serious criminal activity and unethical behavior. One example cited is a Facebook post dated April 19, 2019, in which Mr. Kurang directly linked her to a crude oil file allegedly connected to the death of former Finance Minister Koro Ceesay, demanding that she “PRODUCE THE CRUDE OIL FILE.”
The affidavit further alleges that over a six-year period, Mr. Kurang consistently repeated these claims across various social media platforms and media interviews, resulting in wider dissemination through third-party news outlets.
This sustained campaign, the affidavit argues, has cast significant doubt on Mrs. Bensouda’s professional integrity. Additional posts from June 2020, August 2021, and May 2025 are also cited, which allegedly implied—either directly or by innuendo—that she was corrupt, abused her office, and acted unethically during her public service.
Mrs. Bensouda’s legal team contends that although Mr. Kurang often avoided naming her explicitly, his statements “unmistakably identified her” through specific descriptors—such as her gender, profession, role in the Janneh Commission, and public image as a wealthy individual. These identifiers, combined with the repeated use of her photographs, made it clear to readers that the allegations were directed at her.
The affidavit underscores the serious reputational harm caused by the defendant’s statements, noting that Mrs. Bensouda’s professional credibility and the success of her law firm are inextricably tied to her reputation for ethical legal practice. It highlights that she serves as a director on the boards of three regulated financial institutions in The Gambia, all of which require her to undergo annual “fit and proper” assessments by the Central Bank of The Gambia.
The affidavit cautions that if regulatory bodies were to take Kurang’s allegations at face value, it could trigger regulatory scrutiny or potential disqualification, jeopardizing her professional career.
In his supporting statement, Abdul Aziz Bensouda expressed concern that without clear judicial intervention, Kurang is likely to continue his defamatory attacks, further endangering his mother’s professional standing. He urged the High Court to issue a definitive ruling on the defamatory nature of the statements and grant injunctive relief to prevent further harm.
To support her claims, Mrs. Bensouda intends to present a comprehensive body of evidence, including:
- Her Curriculum Vitae and professional credentials
- Central Bank Guidelines No. 12 on fitness for directorship
- Media interviews with the defendant from July 2018
- Social media posts, video excerpts, and screenshots of alleged defamatory statements
- Public comments confirming the statements were understood to refer to her
- Commission Orders and reports assigning Kurang to asset valuation and sales
- Records related to the auction of tractors and vehicles
- Gazette notices, correspondence, and commission documents showing her role and Kurang’s termination
- A cease-and-desist letter was sent to Kurang on May 16, 2025
- Screenshots of the defendant’s social media accounts and the “In Solidarity with Kurang” WhatsApp group
Together, these materials aim to demonstrate the malicious intent, falsehood, and widespread impact of the defendant’s statements.
Aziz Bensouda highlighted the wide dissemination of the defamatory remarks, noting that Kurang’s Facebook account has approximately 17,000 followers. Additionally, prominent Gambian digital news outlets such as The Fatu Network, with 603,000 Facebook followers, and Kerr Fatou, with 339,000 followers, have broadcast or republished his statements. Eye Africa TV has also featured or rebroadcast these claims. Aziz described Kurang’s actions as “malicious and calculated,” emphasizing the ongoing harm they have caused.
The lawsuit includes multiple screenshots of Facebook posts and public comments as evidence. Notably, a May 4, 2025, post by Alhaji Mamadi Kurang called for an inquiry into former President Jammeh’s assets to include a declaration from “the richest Woman in the Country.” This prompted several users, including Ibbu Marie Ndure, Nuha Yakuyoni Fadera, and Baboucarr Amarr Wahani Jarju, to question whether this referred to Amie Bensouda. Another user, Omar Mane, sought to identify the “richest woman” mentioned.
A May 14, 2025, post by Kurang stated, “The woman investigating Jammeh’s assets is all of a sudden the biggest estate dealer in town.” This elicited reactions warning of potential “100 million dalasi defamation charges,” such as from Lamin Njie, while others like Badjiebasen Badjie inquired about the woman’s identity. Modou Lamin Bah claimed, “She bought 1,000 square meters of land in Nuimi just alongside the river.”
Public opinion on Kurang’s posts has been mixed. Kexx Sanneh expressed support, describing Kurang’s statements as “legitimate questions, not allegations,” and characterized the lawsuit as “a direct attack on his unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability.” Conversely, Nanama Keita criticized Kurang, stating she had lost confidence in him after discovering he was untruthful and suggesting his accusations against Bensouda stem from personal bitterness following his departure from the Janneh Commission.
Activist Ndey Jobarteh framed the lawsuit as “Truth on Trial,” arguing that the case transcends reputational concerns and is fundamentally about shaping the narrative of post-Jammeh justice in The Gambia. She emphasized the central roles both Kurang, as Secretary, and Bensouda, as Lead Counsel, played in the Commission’s work.
The case is scheduled for a hearing in October 2025.