By: Sainabou Sambou
A 23-year-old mechanic, Samba Sey, on Tuesday strongly denied murdering 17-year-old Omar Touray by stabbing him in the neck, telling the High Court in Banjul that he was at work and later with a friend on the evening of the incident in July 2020.
Testifying as the defence opened its case before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, Sey insisted he had nothing to do with the death.
Sey, who was 17 years old at the time, told the court he lived with his parents and siblings in Sukuta and worked as a mechanic. On the day in question, he woke up, bathed, and went to work, remaining there until after Magrib prayers. After closing, he visited his friend Alhagie Manneh and stayed until about 11:00 p.m.
“I told him I had work the next day and wanted to go home. He suggested we go together,” Sey narrated. “We left another friend at Ceesay Kunda and walked until we reached my compound gate. He said goodbye, and I went inside.”
He said he entered the kitchen, ate, then went to his room, shut the door, and lay down, but was not asleep. Shortly afterwards, police officers knocked on his door. His mother and other family members were in the house. When he opened the door, the officers said he was wanted at the police station.
One officer suggested searching the house for a knife, but nothing was found. Sey was handcuffed and taken to the station, where he was placed in a cell. Officers questioned him about any altercation with Papa Sey (the deceased, also known as Omar Touray), but he denied having any issue with him.
He said officers mentioned that one Boyi had alleged he had a problem with the deceased. When asked to write a statement, Sey refused, insisting he had nothing to say because he did not kill anyone.
During cross-examination by State Counsel F. Drammeh, Sey maintained he was at work until after Magrib on 1 July 2020. He confirmed knowing one of the officers, Jawo, from a previous case involving stolen money and a phone.
Sey testified that police officers wrote the statements tendered in court. He claimed he was handcuffed, slapped and kicked, and forced to thumbprint the documents. He recognised the statements only by his thumbprint but denied that the contents—particularly the first statement—were his words.
He acknowledged that parts of the second statement reflected what he said, based on the handwriting, but insisted he was coerced into thumbprinting both. When it was put to him that he had admitted the offence in Exhibit D3, Sey rejected the suggestion outright.
“That is not true. I did not kill anyone, and I said so at the police station,” he told the court.
Samba Sey is charged with murder contrary to Section 187 and punishable under Section 188 of the Criminal Code. The state alleges that between 19:00hrs and 20:00hrs on 1 July 2020, at Sukuta around Jarju Kunda in the West Coast Region, he unlawfully caused the death of Omar Touray with malice aforethought by stabbing him in the neck with a knife.
F. Drammeh represented the state, while Chinedu Njoku appeared for the accused.
The case was adjourned to Tuesday, 21 April at 1:00 p.m. for continuation.
