By Sainabou Sambou
The High Court of The Gambia delved into the murky details of a journalist’s independent investigation on Monday, as Bakary Mankanjang testified in the ongoing trial over the fatal shooting of two Police Intervention Unit (PIU) officers at Sukuta-Jabang Traffic Light. Presided over by Justice Jaiteh, the proceedings featured pointed cross-examination that exposed discrepancies in witness accounts potentially linking the first accused, Ousainou Bojang, to a chilling border-crossing confession.
The prosecution, led by Counsels A.M. Yusuf and F. Touray, seeks to establish a chain of evidence tying Bojang and co-accused to the ambush deaths of Officers Haruna Jallow and Tijan Drammeh. The defense counters with Lamin J. Darboe and Jarra Jeng representing Bojang, and Adama Sillah for the third accused, arguing gaps in the narrative and questioning investigative rigor.
Under Darboe’s probing cross-examination, Mankanjang, a reporter, defended his decision to launch a parallel inquiry amid surging public scrutiny. “The killings had the nation gripped; people demanded answers beyond the headlines,” he stated, explaining his outreach to contacts who allegedly aided Bojang’s flight into Senegal. “I targeted those who’d interacted with Ousainou directly—no agenda, just facts.”
Mankanjang detailed his first lead: a September 15 phone call to Mama Jabie, suspected of sheltering the fugitive in Jullulung village. He secured a rendezvous the next morning at the Yarabamba home of Korkah Bah, sister to President Adama Barrow, where he conducted a smartphone video interview. “Mama Jabie recounted Ousainou’s arrival, funneled to her door by a local named Alfusainey,” Mankanjang told the court. He confirmed that there were dual versions of the footage—unedited originals intact on his verified, functioning device, and a trimmed edit uploaded to his platform, which sparked widespread online engagement.
Buoyed by the response, Mankanjang escalated his efforts. On September 28, he journeyed to Jullulung with a colleague, first consulting the Alkalo before interviewing Yayi Faal. He then located Alfusainey at the village garage, where the man serves as “chef de garage.” Flashing his press ID, Mankanjang requested a sit-down, only to hit a wall: “Alfusainey balked, citing police orders to stay silent,” the witness recalled.
Undeterred, Alfusainey placed a call to a figure he dubbed “the president”—a mysterious intermediary whose clearance unlocked the session. Off-camera, in a candid aside, Alfusainey shared a softer tale: Bojang had posed as a pilgrim bound for a Casamance marabout, troubled by a “white woman” entanglement. “That’s the cover he bought—that’s why I sent him to Mama’s,” Mankanjang quoted.
But as recording commenced, with “the president” looming in frame, Alfusainey’s demeanor shifted. “He alleged Ousainou burst in with: ‘I’m here, and I’ve killed two people from The Gambia. I need your help,'” Mankanjang testified. Alfusainey claimed he forwarded Bojang to Mama Jabie, then alerted her by phone to the gravity of the visitor’s words.
Darboe grilled Mankanjang on the variances, implying editorial bias or coercion, but the journalist stood resolute, emphasizing the recordings’ authenticity. The exchange highlighted the trial’s fault lines: a prosecutorial push for corroborative digital evidence versus defense skepticism over informal probes.
Justice Jaiteh, maintaining tight control, adjourned the matter to October 13 at 1:00 p.m., mandating submission of the unedited Mama Jabie and Alfusainey videos.
