When the case was called, ASP Jahateh represented the IGP along with Warrant First Class 2231 Gibba. Lawyer L. S. Camara represented the accused persons along with Lawyer Yankuba Darboe.
In his testimony, Dr. Wright told the court that he lives at Fajara and he is a surgical doctor at the Kanifing General Hospital. He testified that he finished Gambia High School in 2007 and later attended the University of The Gambia. He adduced that he worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital for two years. He revealed that shortly after that he worked for a private Indian clinic called Nif.
He told the court that in October, 2020, he was at the Kanifing General Hospital. He added that on the 6th October, 2020, he was on duty. He narrated that on this day, in the evening, they had a patient called Ebrima Fadera who was escorted to the hospital by a narcotic officer and said he was assaulted. He adduced that the left ear of the patient was swollen which was caused by the assault.
He told the court that the patient was conscious and stable and was given some medication and pain killer. He added that he was not admitted. “The patient came back to the hospital on the 28th October, 2020, for a medical report which I wrote at the medical office,” he stated.
At this juncture, he was asked by ASP Jahateh if he was shown the report he would be able to recognize it. He answered in the positive. The document was given to him and he went through it and confirmed it. ASP Jahateh applied to tender the document. Lawyer L. S. Camara did not raise any objection. The application was granted and the document was admitted by the court.
Under cross-examination, Lawyer L. S. Camara asked the witness whether he is a specialist or a general practitioner. In response, he told the court that he is a surgical doctor in training.
“You know how prescriptions are done?” he was asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Can you tell the court where you were on the 6th October, 2020?” Counsel Camara enquired.
“I was at the Kanifing General Hospital.”
“Did you bear eye witness to any assault of any person in The Gambia?”
“No.”
“Why did you say that Ebrima Fadera sustained some injury as a result of assault?”
“That was not right.”
“Did you attend to any person by the name Tijan Macauley?”
“I cannot remember.”
At this juncture, he was given exhibit ‘A’ and asked whether he wrote it. He answered in the negative and said that it was written by one of their nurses. He was asked whether he could tell the court the diagnosis on exhibit ‘A’. He responded that it was assault. It was put to him that the nurse must have been told that it was assault. He replied that it should have been queried assault.
He was given exhibit ‘C’ and asked who signed it. He said he signed it. He was asked whether there was anything like assault on exhibit ‘C’. He answered in the negative. He further said that the degree of injury could not be the diagnosis. He was again given exhibit ‘C’ and asked whether the word ‘swollen’ was mentioned on it. He replied in the negative.
The case continues on the 3rd March, 2021.
