Landing Jarju, attached to the State Guard Battalion, on 31 March 2015 testified before Magistrate Patrick Gomez of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court in the case involving Mustapha Njie, who was charged with causing the death of Ya Binta Jarju during a shooting incident in Manjai.
Mr Jarju said he is a military officer with the rank of private, adding that he recoginsed the accused and Sulayman Bah (PW1).
He told the court that, on 7 March 2015, they were on a patrol, but could not remember how many of them were on the patrol.
He was with Abdoulie Badjie and Babali Jallow. They were at the Manjai checkpoint, when they saw a taxi driver driving toward the checkpoint. The driver was asked to stop, but he failed to do so.
They then gave a warning shot in the air, but again the driver failed to stop, and drove on at high speed.
Officer Jarju said they were checking for arms and ammunition, drugs and bad people.
They took their patrol vehicle and gave chase; they overtook the driver on the left side and fired another warning.
The driver diverted to another direction on the right, where the road was dark and bumpy.
As the driver was trying to escape, they shot at the vehicle to disable it.
They later found that the vehicle had left the road, and stopped at some flower trees.
He testified that when they reached the vehicle, they saw a lady who was bleeding, adding that the lady was with PW1 and the driver.
Police officers from Manjai Police Station later arrived at the scene, and they went to Kairaba Police Station to make their statements, and later went back to continue their night patrol.
The witness told the court that they aimed at the tyres to disable the vehicle, and that the aim was achieved because the vehicle stopped at some flower trees.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel Edu Gomez asked Jarju whether all three of them fired at the taxi, and he said he did not know.
Asked whether he personally fired at the taxi, he said they fired.
He also said he could not remember where in the vehicle the lady was lying.
Asked whether they opened the boot of the taxi to ensure that there were no arms and ammunition, and he said he did not know anything about the boot.
Asked whether Sulayman Bah (PW1) asked for help, the witness said he did not hear that, adding that he did not know whether the police apprehended the driver.
He said the tyre of the taxi did not burst when they shot the car, and he did not see where the bullet landed on the taxi.
He said he knew that the lady in the taxi died.
Babali Jallow, the fifth prosecution witness, also testified and told the court that he is a police officer, First Class 4709, with the police intervention unit.
Officer Jallow narrated almost the same thing Jarju told the court.
He was patrolling with Landing Jarju, Abdoulie Badjie, Malang Sanneh and the driver of the security vehicle.
Under cross-examination, he was asked why he did not offer help to save the life of the lady, and said some police officers arrived, adding that they did not hear anyone appealing for help.
Asked whether he opened the boot of the taxi, he replied that he did not, even though they were checking to ensure that there were no arms and ammunition being transported.
The case was adjourned to 1 April 2015.
ASP Mballow represented the IGP.
