The murder case involving two officers of the National Drug Enforcement Agency, NDEA, has reached its climax at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul before Justice Emmanuel Nkea.
Edrissa Jarju and Edrissa Jaiteh, both officers of the NDEA, were alleged to have caused the death of one Alpha Omar Jallow, by beating him while in their custody at the Manjai Kunda Police Station.
During yesterday’s hearing of the case, the state counsel announced the closure of the prosecution’s case after the testimony of the seventh prosecution witness (PW7), Mustapha Ibrahim Ali Khalid, chief consultant and a pathologist at the RVTH.
In his testimony, Professor Ali Khalid, told the court that he conducted an autopsy on the deceased, Alpha Omar Jallow, at the RVTH, and after the postmortem he issued a report.
PW7 further told the court that that he could identify the report, and then the state prosecutor applied to tender the report, which was admitted in evidence and marked as an exhibit.
The witness also said the cause of death was shock by the fracture of the bone of the neck, and injury to the spinal cord.
He added that the fracture could be caused by many things, including falling on the head, a blow to the neck, and that if the injury was minor the person could live for some days or weeks, but if it was major injury, the person died instantly.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Professor Ali Khalid said there was no complete cut on the spinal cord, adding that he could not remember whether he was informed that the deceased was taken to hospital for other diseases.
He added that even if the deceased was suffering from malaria, it would be detected, and he did not see any evidence of malaria.
The case continues on19 February 2013, for defence.
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