Adama Makasuba
Following former president Yahya Jammeh’s defeat in the December 2016 elections and his exit from office, his successor, Adama Barrow, initiated the Janneh Commission to investigate financial mismanagement and misconduct during Jammeh’s tenure.
Between 2017 and 2019, the commission received testimony from over 250 individuals, including former ministers, business leaders, and civil servants. Nonetheless, the commission’s work has been marred by a lack of public trust following the revelation of numerous irregularities.
Alhaji Mamadi Kurang, who previously held the position of secretary to the commission, was dismissed in 2018 after he made a series of allegations against the commission’s lead counsel. He protested his removal in a seven-page petition directed to President Adama Barrow. He accused him of political interference, including attempts to obstruct the sale of impounded tractors and manipulation of the commission’s budget, which involved unnecessary foreign trips while staff salaries remained unpaid.
In a recent interview with QTV, Kurang expressed his vindication following a compelling investigative report by The Republic, which uncovered significant wrongdoing concerning the sale of assets misappropriated by Jammeh. He accused unnamed senior officials and staff members of the defunct financial commission of undermining the inquiry’s objectives.
“We initiated that process, but obstacles were placed in our path. Ultimately, those efforts halted it, removing me from the commission. Subsequently, we witnessed the aftermath of those actions.”
“You must consider the proportional value of the assets involved: 500 to 600 tractors, numerous vehicles, including luxury cars, and hundreds of valuable fixed properties. What is their true worth? Based on my firsthand experience, the tractors alone could yield around 200 million dalasis,” he stated.
