“Supt. Kofi Abban is the expert who conducted the DNA examination in Ghana. Therefore, he will be coming to The Gambia this coming Monday for his testimony.” He would testify on the DNA findings and would unsealed it in the court and “we would serve the defence and give them reasonable time.”
“In that regard, the honourable court stipulates that an adjournment date next week is taken for the DNA result to be received and open in court as were sealed in Ghana in the presence of the expert Kofi Abban, whose testimony will be used to unsealed the DNA result.
“In that regard, we will take Tuesday 11 October 2022 for the DNA result to be disclosed in the presence of the expert from Ghana unless either party objects,” Justice Momodou S.M. Jallow ruled.
ASP Francis Jatta, a police officer attached at the Criminal Record Office of The Gambia Police Force, who testified yesterday, said: “We received a correspondent from the Ministry of Justice through the office of the IGP requesting assistance in terms of DNA sample collection in the case of the State V.S. Bob Keita. I was tasked as the forensic officer to witness the sample collection that has the court order stating that the sample should be all the parties involved.”
“On the documents, it indicated that the sample should be collected from the toddler Baby Muhammed, Fatou Ngonneh Mbye who is the victim, Bubacarr Keita and Pa Modou Johm,” he added, saying “on the 12th of August I went to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul to witness the sample collection from all the parties. Upon arrival, I was asked to go to professor Ogun. I was led to him by Senior State Counsel Alassan Jobe.”
“I was with professor Ogun, the victim Fatou Ngonneh Mbye, the victim's mother Kumba Krubally, the victim's brother Muhammed Mbye and the High Court Registrar. We waited for Bubacarr Keita and Pa Modou Johm. However, after a while, we received a notice that Bob was brought in by the prison officers but he stopped outside the hospital around the mortuary. Bob said he would not enter inside professor Ogun office due to the fact that his defence had written an appeal to the Appeal Court of The Gambia and that he didn’t want to jeopardise that.”
Francis Jatta, who is PW 9, told the court that Pa Modou Johm didn’t come on that day. “At the end, we proceeded with the two and took blood samples from the victim Fatou Ngonneh Mbye. The blood samples were taken by professor Ogun and it was later air-dried and packaged. I also learned that a blood sample was taken from Bob Keita but the police were not present,” he posited.
“We later proceeded to the mortuary and a corpse of baby Muhammed was brought in the presence of Senior counsel Alassan Jobe, High Court registrar, Muhammed Mbye the victim's elder brother, professor Ogun and one Buba Jallow, the mortuary attendant. DNA samples were collected and his two toe nails were removed. It was also air-dry and sealed.”
“The two blood samples were given to me together with the blood samples of Bob Keita and Pa Modou Johm which were collected before. From there we put them in a container with an ice bag and then I proceeded to the airport. Upon arrival in Ghana, I was received at the airport by the Ghana Forensic Police officer. The blood samples were handed to one Supt. Edward Kofi Abban for the necessary DNA analysis and all other things. After handing it over, I waited until 15 September for the report. I got the sealed report on the 15 September and on the 16 September, I returned to the country.
The case was adjourned to 11th of September for the PW9 to continue his testimony and be cross-examined by the defence team.
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