Banyanka Youths' murder trial continues

The murder trial involving six Banyanka youths yesterday continued before Justice Moses Richards at the Special Criminal Court of the High Court in Banjul.

Ansumana Camara, Haruna Camara, Yuspha Sanneh, Suwaibou Camara and Sanna Camara were alleged to have murdered one Ansu Bojang on 18 September 2002 at Banyanka village in the Western Region.

Testifying before the court, one Dodou Sanneh the third prosecution witness, told the court that he is a police officer attached to the Major Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force, and that he recognised the first and third accused persons.

According to Sanneh, he came to know the first and thirdaccused persons in connection with the murder case.

He added that the second accused person was brought to his office by a soldier from Farafenni in a case related to murder.

"I was instructed by my boss to obtain both the cautionary and voluntary statements, which I did in the presence of an independent witness," adding that he read the cautionary wording to them.

The police officer adduced that he also obtained cautionary and voluntary statements from Ansumana Camara, who preferred to write his own statement. 

"I read a charge of murder to him, and he denied the charge," Sanneh told the court.

The statements of the first and third accused persons were later tendered in court as exhibits, without any objection from the defence counsel, LS Camara.     

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Lamin S. Camara, the witness admitted that the said murder case began in 2002, and that it was seven years since the alleged murder happened.

Also testifying for the prosecution was one Yerro Saidy, a police detective attached to the Major Crime Unit, who also told the court that he recognised all the accused persons before the court.

Detective Saidy told the court that he obtained the voluntary and cautionary statements of the second and fourth accused persons in the presence of an independent witness.

The statements were later tendered in court as exhibits, without any objection from the defence counsel, L.S. Camara.

The hearing was adjourned to 5 March 2010.