“On Wednesday, around the hours of 8 to 9 p.m., we saw the police with many vehicles coming to our compound. When they arrived, they didn’t greet anybody. They went straight to the Ousainou Bojang’s room and started searching. After the search, they asked for Ousainou's mobile, and I told them that Ousainou left his phone in my house charging,” the witness said during his appearance yesterday before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the High Court.
Ousainou Bojang is facing two counts of murder, one count of attempt to murder, one count of Prohibition of Acts of Terrorism, and one count of grievous bodily harm. The second accused is charged with accessory after the fact.
Continuing further, the witness said: “The police asked me to surrender Ousainou’s mobile phone to them when I told them that the phone was in my house charging. I then asked my wife to go and get the phone, and that was the time Police Commissioner Pateh Bah ordered the officers to handcuff me.”
“I was then handcuffed and taken to the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force (GPF). When we arrived at the ACU headquarters, the police told me that Ousainou left his phone with me and ran away. I told them that is not true, as Ousainou left his phone in my house for charging. In fact, it was my stepdad's daughter who informed me that Ousainou's phone was in my house charging.”
Asked by defence counsel as to what mark the phone was, the witness responded by stating that Ousainou's phone was a smartphone, adding: “I was detained at the ACU for three days before I was released on self-bail and asked to report on Monday. When I reported to the ACU on Monday, the police didn’t tell me anything, and I was there until 3 p.m., after which they told me to report the following day on Tuesday.”
Lamin Bojang further added: “On Tuesday, around 2 pm, after finishing praying my Zuhur, I was called before a panel. The police on the panel had documents containing call logs, and they were questioning me about who called Ousainou. I told them the phone that Ousainou was charging at my house was not even with a sim card, as when Ousainou was leaving, he removed the sim card from the smartphone and put it in his simple phone.”
One of police in the panel then said, “I should speak the truth or risk being locked up. I responded by telling them that all I was saying was the truth. After the interrogation by the panel on Tuesday, I was again detained at the ACU until Saturday, before I was granted bail with the help of lawyer Mboge.”
Quizzed by the defence counsel on whether he recalled anything happening on the 12th of September 2023, he said: “On Tuesday around 11 p.m., Ousainou came to my house and knocked on the door. When I opened the door, he told me that he wanted to discuss something with me, to which I agreed. Ousainou told me that he wanted to apologise to me, because he (Ousainou) would pass me without greeting, something he said was not good. I told him, I have forgiven him, as I am his brother.”
“The following day, I also saw Ousainou sitting with my stepdad in the morning. My stepdad informed me that Ousainou came to his house to seek forgiveness. However, he later informs us that he will be travelling to Ziguinchor in Cassamance, the southern part of Senegal, and seek blessings from a Marabout.”
Asked whether he knew why Ousainou was in court, he responded: “They alleged that Ousainou killed two police officers.”
Meanwhile, the cautionary statement of the defence witness (DW 3), Nfamara Bojang, which the police were asked to produce, was brought to court by Commissioner Modou Sowe of the ACU.
Commissioner Sowe informed the court that they didn’t see the original cautionary statement of Nfamara Bojang. However, he assured them that they were looking for the document.
Defence Counsel Lamin J. Darboe didn’t object to that, but he added: “We are satisfied with the document produced by Commissioner Sowe. However, we wanted the original statement, but if that is not available, we are happy to admit this document as an exhibit.”
The cautionary statement of Nfamara Bojang was later admitted as defence exhibit 31 after it was read and interpreted to the witness in Mandinka, and he recognised the statement as his.
Cross-examining DW 3, before he was discharged, DPP A.M. Yusuf asked the witness how many shoes were recovered by the police, the witness stated that two of his pairs of shoes were taken by the police.
Further asked how many times the police visited their compound, he said: “To my understanding, the police visited our compound three times, and I was present during their all visits. Again, I was later invited by the police after their three visits in our compound.”
The case is adjourned to today at 11am.
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