By Ousman Saidykhan
In a dramatic courtroom twist, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) A.M. Yusuf pulled out a yellow measuring tape on Monday to measure two pairs of boots during the cross-examination of Ousainou Bojang, the man accused of murdering PIU officers. The unusual move was an attempt to discredit Bojang’s defense by comparing the lengths of Prosecution Exhibit P26 and Defence Exhibit D30, both already admitted as evidence in the high-profile trial.
Prosecution Exhibit P26, a pair of combat boots, is alleged by the prosecution to have been worn by Bojang on the night of the supposed killing on September 12, 2023. Last December, Bojang’s defense counsel, J. Darboe, had his client try on the boots in court to test their fit. Bojang, claiming they belonged to his elder brother, struggled to put them on, with his heel unable to slide in—a detail noted by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the judge handling the case.
In contrast, Defence Exhibit D30, a white boot Bojang acknowledged as his own, fit him comfortably when he wore it in court on Monday. Both pairs were recovered from Bojang’s compound during police investigations, adding weight to their significance in the case.
Unconvinced by Bojang’s narrative, DPP Yusuf pressed him on shoe sizes. Bojang testified he wears sizes 45 or 46 and insisted his feet are larger than his brother’s, though he didn’t know his sibling’s size. When asked to read the size on Exhibit P26, Bojang confirmed it was 42—smaller than his stated size. Exhibit D30, however, bore no visible size marking.
The DPP argued that Exhibit P26 appeared equal to or slightly longer than Exhibit D30, a claim Bojang refuted, asserting his white boot (D30) was “even longer.” Yusuf produced a measuring tape to settle the dispute and measured both pairs in court. “From the measurement, P26 is 11 and a half and a quarter,” he announced. Bojang initially expressed skepticism, saying, “Except I see it for myself,” but conceded the measurement after inspection. The DPP then measured Exhibit D30, declaring it “11 and a half”—a quarter inch shorter than P26.
Bojang, however, stood firm, insisting, “Even though the white one (Exhibit D30) is longer.” Frustrated, the DPP requested court permission for him and the registrar to conduct a more precise measurement of the boots’ physical lengths.
Bojang’s counsel fiercely objected, calling the DPP’s tactics unscientific and irrelevant. “It is clear that this shoe (Exhibit D30) is far, far longer than the other one,” he argued, suggesting that fitting a shoe depends on the wearer’s willingness. “You have to maneuver your feet for it to enter,” he added, implying Bojang may have deliberately resisted fitting into Exhibit P26.
The courtroom exchange underscored the prosecution’s efforts to link Bojang to the combat boots allegedly worn during the crime, while the defense maintained the ill-fitting Exhibit P26 exonerated their client. The case, gripping public attention, resumes today with the continuation of Bojang’s cross-examination.
