By: Nicholas Bass
The prime suspect in the shooting of three paramilitaries Ousainou Bojang has denied owning a pistol allegedly used in the shooting as he was being cross-examined by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) A.M Yusuf last Monday.
Testifying under cross-examination before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court, Bojang denied ownership of the weapon after observing it. The pistol was tendered into evidence, admitted and marked as exhibit p28.
He was given the pistol by the DPP to observe it but his lawyer Lamin J. Darboe objected to this, insisting that his client cannot handle the suspected murder weapon without a glove on, arguing that Bojang’s fingerprints may be used against him in the Appeal Court.
At that juncture, the court placed the pistol on a white paper [A4 size], which was handed to Bojang for close observation, yet he maintained his stance, stating that he has never used a gun. He told the court that he “is not a service man”. Bojang, however, acknowledged that he was a security guard, noting that servicemen are entrusted with different types of guns whilst security guards are not gun-bearers. ‘’I never have a gun,” he adduced.
Lawyer Darboe, however, vehemently opposed this line of questioning by DPP Yusuf which, Darboe believed, suggested that Ousainou Bojang used the gun on 13 September 2023, arguing that his client never mentioned anywhere in his testimony that he had a gun.
Lawyer Darboe stated that the DPP suggested that the pistol was recovered from Ousainou at Brusubi but Darboe clarified that Sukuta Traffic Light, the suspected crime scene, was different from Brusubi.
DPP Yusuf, however, disagreed with the lawyer Darboe on that.
When quizzed by the DPP, regarding the testimonies of Mama Jabbie, a marabout from Jululung ,Bojang affirmed that Jabbie gave false testimony in court. He stated that despite Jabbie claiming she recorded their conversation, she failed to play it.
Bojang described all the testimonies of the state’s witnesses as false, but acknowledged that the testimony of the motorcyclist, who transported him to Casamance, was truthful.
When asked whether or not Ebou Sowe, a police officer attached to the Anti-Crime Unit HQ in Banjulinding, had obtained cautionary and voluntary statements from him, Bojang denied any knowledge of such. He further stated that officer Sowe only confronted him with a lot of papers during which, he [Sowe] asked him to thumbprint his cautionary and voluntary statements.
The case was adjourned for the testimony of the second defense witness.
