By Mama A Touray
Daughter of late Binta Gassama, Sally Fiah on Thursday testified with tears in her late mother’s murder trial holding at Kanifing High Court presided over by Justice Isatou Janneh.
Sally Fiah, a resident of Bakau testified that her mother was 62 years old until her demise. She described her as a caring, loving, hardworking, and ambitious mother until her demise.
Sally, in her testimony, said on the 4th of September 2022 was a day she will never forget and that day was supposed to be like any other as she and her mum spoke on Saturday evening to go and pay respect to her late cousin.
“I woke up on Sunday, I called her but could not reach her, I continued calling as that was unusual of her. I later rushed there to find out what happened, I went to her place with the hope that she will tell me my phone has a problem while I went with some part of the food I cooked which was her favorite,” She explained.
She continued that as she went to the house to look for her late mother, she realized that the main gate and the front door were open which she described as unusual.
She further told the court that she saw water on the veranda and she walked straight to the toilet but was shocked to see her mother on the floor inside the toilet while water was dropping from the shower directly on her face.
She also described her mother to be a neat woman but on the day of the incident, her mother’s house was turned upside down, the TV that used to be on a stand was not there and the items in the room were shattered.
“When I saw her in that condition I screamed, I later ran to her neighbors for help, they helped me to pick her up from the toilet floor. My mother has completely naked apart from the clothing covering her face,” she described the condition she met her mother.
Sally said with the way the place was scattered, it was hard for them to find a wrapper to cover her late mother.
She continued on her narration that after the police investigation that was when she knew that one of the accused used to help her mum cut the grass.
She added that through the investigation she was also able to know that some items of her mum were missing, such as her mother’s phones, her daughter’s tablet, and also her mum’s car key and router.
She said according to the police the items were discovered from the accused and the alleged child offender.
The defend lawyer, Tamsir B Jallow however, sought an adjournment for cross-examination.
The first accused Ousainou Jallow and the alleged child offender were charged with three counts, Conspiracy to commit a felony, Murder, and Robbery.
According to the three particulars of their offense, the first accused, Ousainou Jallow, and the alleged child offender on or about the 4th day of September 2022 within the Kanifing Municipality allegedly conspired to rob, Binta Gassama in her compound and strangled her to death.
The particulars continued that Ousainou Jallow and the alleged child offender allegedly caused the death of Binta Gassama, a 62-year-old woman by suffocating her to death.
Ousainou Jallow and the child offender allegedly Robbed Binta Gassama (now deceased) and made away an iPhone, a tablet, a Samsung mobile phone, a router, a power bank, a car key, jewelry, a headphone, and other belongings.
The matter was later adjourned to the 7th at 2 pm, the 8th at midday, and the 12th of June 2023 by midday for cross-examination.