By Sainabou Sambou
In a courtroom packed with tension and anticipation, the high-stakes murder trial of Ousainou Bojang and his sister Amie Bojang took a dramatic turn as a controversial audio recording was played, featuring a voice purportedly accusing Bojang of gunning down two police officers to sabotage President Adama Barrow’s administration.
The September 12, 2023, Sukuta Traffic Lights shooting left two Officers dead and a third officer critically wounded, shocking the nation and sparking debates over security lapses and potential political intrigue.
Ousainou, 32, faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism, while Amie, his sibling, is accused of being an accessory after the fact.
The siblings, who have pleaded not guilty, are defending against a prosecution case built on eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and Bojang’s alleged confession to fleeing to Senegal with the murder weapon.
Proceedings resumed Thursday before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh at the Banjul High Court, with Director of Public Prosecutions A.M. Yusuf representing the State. Defense teams included Counsel J. Jeng and F. Bondi for Ousainou, and Counsel A. Sillah for Amie, stepping in amid Counsel Lamin J. Darboe’s absence. The spotlight fell on the defense’s 12th witness, Ebrima Charty, a clerk at Dabanani Chambers and a resident of New Jeshwang.
Charty, who testified to knowing Ousainou personally, detailed downloading a video from the Kerr Fatou YouTube channel—featuring an exchange between Ousainou and Mama Jabbi—onto his personal laptop.
He converted it to audio, saved it to a silver flash drive, and handed it to Darboe, affirming its authenticity via a signed affidavit. Counsel Jeng swiftly played the recording, a move unopposed by the State. But technical glitches struck: the initial drive failed on the court’s computer. Undeterred, Jeng requested a substitute drive with identical content.
DPP Yusuf objected, insisting Charty had only vouched for one device. Justice Jaiteh overruled, emphasizing the defense’s right to present evidence, after Charty confirmed backups existed.
In the Mandinka-language clip, a voice identified as Jabbi’s confronted Ousainou: “You killed two police officers to dirty President Barrow.” Charty verified the voices as belonging to the pair, sending murmurs through the gallery.
Jeng moved to tender the audio and affidavit. Amie’s counsel, Sillah, did not object.
However, Yusuf balked, citing a lack of prior service to the State and the clip’s non-English format, and demanded a transcript for cross-examination. Jaiteh approved the transcription into English, invoking procedural fairness to enable scrutiny.
The exchange highlighted ongoing evidentiary battles in a trial that has dragged on since late 2023, featuring witnesses like a UK woman’s claim that Bojang was chatting with her during the shooting—and allegations of fabricated evidence.
Tensions escalated further when Yusuf, under Section 166 of the Criminal Procedure Act, sought to recall Defense Witness 11 (DW11)—a British woman.
Jeng demanded a formal application; Sillah invoked the principle of litigation finality, noting that State Counsel Wakawa had exhaustively cross-examined DW11. Sillah added a bombshell: DW11 had departed The Gambia for the UK, where she primarily resides, owning only a compound in Brufut.
Jaiteh paused the proceedings, ruling that the recall required confirmation of her availability. He directed defense counsel to verify her status. The hearing was adjourned to November 18 at 1:00 p.m.
