A CID officer Momodou L. Jallow Wednesday continued his evidence-in -chief in the trial involving four former nurses of the Brikama Health Centre before Principal Magistrate Dayoh M. Small-Dago of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court.
The accused persons - Ensa Jarju, Ndey Touray, Adama Danso and Fatou Sonko - are charged on three counts of rash or negligence, giving false information and for official corruption.
Continuing his testimony, officer Jallow said a request was made through the office of the IGP for a postmortem to be conducted on the newly-born Baby.
He said that he assigned his junior staff to attend the postmortem, adding that on 28 November 2013, the result of the postmortem was sent to the office of the IGP and he went to collect it.
Asked about the whereabouts of his junior staff who attended the postmortem, he said his junior staff was not within the jurisdiction of the court.
He identified the said postmortem report and the prosecutor applied to tender, and it was admitted and marked in evidence as exhibit without any objection from the defence.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel LK Mboge asked the witness if he found out how many patients were attended to on the night of 23 November 2013, but the witness answered in the negative.
Asked if he also found out whether the child was referred to the EFSTH, he answered in the negative, adding that he requested for the antenatal card of the mother, Binta Bah.
He said the antenatal was shown to them and returned to the victim, adding that he did not compare the information on the antenatal card with the photograph report.
He said the delivery register was photocopied and the original was left in the hospital.
The witness identified the said delivery register and the defence counsel applied to tender it as ID, which was granted.
Counsel then applied for the original of the delivery register dated 23 November 2013, and the original document was tendered and marked as defence exhibit.
He said he recorded a statement from Binta Bah.
The statement of Binta Bah was tendered and marked as defence exhibit without any objection from the prosecutor.
The case was adjourned till 14 April 2014.
Count one stated that Ensa Jarju, Ndey Touray, Adama Danso and Fatou Sonko, on 23 November 2013, between 21 and 2200 hours at Brikama Health Centre, in Kombo Central, being employees of the medical and health department at the time, acted in a rash or negligent manner causing the death of Binta Bah’s newly-born baby, thereby committed an offence.
Count two stated that the accused on the same time and place, told the officers at Brikama CID office that the photograph report dated 23 November 2013 was prepared by the afternoon shift, which information they knew or believed to be false.
Count three stated that the accused persons on the same date and place, being employees of the medical and health department in charge of the labour ward at the time, after delivering of Binta Bah’s newly-born baby corruptly obtained D1,500 from Isatou Sowe, in the discharge of their duties in their office, part of which was paid to them.
