By Talibeh Hydara
Kemo Bojang, a nominated councilor at the Kanifing Municipal Council and a witness of the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry, has sent a petition to the Ministry of Justice demanding the immediate removal of Alagi Mamadi Kurang, a Malaysia-trained chartered accountant and founder of Jollof Tutors.
A source at the Commission confirmed to The Republic that Kurang was hired as a consultant to help in their financial investigations. In the second week of December, Bojang appeared before the Commission where he testified to allegations of receiving payments amounting to D472,450 as part of a “flawed procurement process”.
The petition, submitted on his behalf by the chambers of Barrister Abdoulie Fatty on 12 December 2024 seen by The Republic, alleges that Mr Kurang makes daily social media posts and television interviews that “present witnesses in a negative light.”
“It is our client’s understanding that Mr Kurang is a pivotal officer in the preparation, review and submission of investigation reports to the Commissioners, which influence the course of the inquiry,” the lawyers noted.
While Kurang is a professional accountant, he also has a significant footprint in the country’s political space. In 2022, he contested and lost a parliamentary seat in Niamina East on a PDOIS ticket. He also made a failed attempt at the presidency and was among 15 individuals whose candidature was rejected by the Independent Electoral Commission in 2021.
Bojang’s petition argues that Kurang’s behavior online undermines the Commission’s credibility. Lawyer Fatty also shared samples of Kurang’s online activity with the ministry, threatening to take legal action if the Ministry failed to reply within seven days.
Efforts in reaching Justice Minister Dawda Jallow have so far failed but a source confirmed to The Republic that there has not been any response to the petition, not even an acknowledgment.
The Commission has had about 11 months of public hearings during which it exposed widespread corruption in the Councils. A large part of it is alleged procurement malpractices including potential kickbacks.
The establishment of the Commission followed a routine audit exercise by the National Audit Office conducted at the Councils between 2017 and 2021 which revealed widespread financial malpractices. The government, through the local government ministry, set up the commission to establish the wrongdoings, identify institutional failures in an effort to reform the local administrations.
