Written by: Mama A. Touray
Alhaji Mamadi Kurang, former Secretary to the Janneh Commission, has admitted to undervaluing two tractors during the sale and disposal of assets identified by the Commission. He made the admission during his second appearance before the National Assembly Special Select Committee investigating the matter.
Testifying on his involvement in the disposal of the tractors, Kurang referenced a report he had prepared dated 24th June 2018, which noted that OC Christ purchased a scrap Mahindra tractor in Somita for D25,000, despite a reserve price of D30,000.
“Out of 44 tractors, this is one of the items that was sold at a price lower than the reserve price. The reserve price was D30,000, and we sold it for D25,000, resulting in a loss of D5,000,” Kurang explained.
Defending the sale, Kurang stated that the valuer had described the tractor as scrap. He added, “Parts of the tractor were lying at Somita Police [Station], and there was nobody interested in the item other than OC Christ. So I told myself: should I leave a single scrap, or should I allow the man who paid D25,000 to get the scrap?”
“I took the responsibility to sell the item to him with the advice of my colleagues. That was the reasonable economic decision I made,” he continued.
Kurang further argued that taking the auction team back to Somita would have cost more in fuel than the D5,000 loss incurred in the sale.
When asked whether he sought the approval of the Commissioners before selling the tractor, Kurang replied, “I did not seek the approval of the Commission in the case of Mr. OC Christ.”
In a second incident, a scrap item valued at D20,000 was reportedly sold for D10,000. Counsel Dibba put it to him that he had assumed the roles of both valuer and auctioneer in that instance, a claim Kurang denied.
“I did not assume the role of any of them. I was put in charge of the process. The auctioneer did all he could but could not reach the reserve price. Then I came in. They had their roles, and I made the final decision representing the Commission in line with the public interest,” he said.
The Committee also observed that OC Christ appeared six times on the list of buyers. Responding, Kurang said, “He sells spare parts in Brikama Ba, so I think he needed the items. That’s why he showed interest in high-value items. But any vehicle said not to be functioning, he expressed interest in it.”
When asked about the reaction of the Commissioners, Kurang concluded, “The Commissioners did not ask me any questions. They were more interested in the ones where I made huge profits.”
