Gambiaj.com – (ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal) – In a significant development in the Boffa-Bayotte mass killings case, the Ziguinchor Court of Appeal has scheduled the pronouncement of its ruling for August 29.

This follows two days of intense hearings that have led to the acquittal of René Capain Bassène and Oumar Ampoi Bodian on several charges, including participation in an insurrectional movement and irregular publication of correspondence. The prosecutor’s office had requested their acquittal on these specific charges.

The two defendants now face accusations solely related to criminal association and participation in the assassination. René Capain Bassène and Oumar Ampoi Bodian were initially sentenced to life imprisonment two years ago, having been convicted as the masterminds behind the brutal murder of 14 rosewood loggers on January 6, 2018. A total of twenty-six people were arrested in connection with this case.

The original charges against Bassène and Bodian included criminal conspiracy, complicity in assassination, complicity in robbery with the use of a weapon, violence, and possession of a weapon without prior administrative authorization.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment on June 13, 2022, following four years of detention. Both defendants have consistently proclaimed their innocence and consequently appealed their convictions.

During the recent hearings, defense counsel Ciré Clédor Ly argued that the prosecution failed to present material evidence to substantiate the crimes, including the alleged irregular correspondence and participation in an insurrectional movement. Ly emphasized the lack of concrete proof linking the defendants to the charges and expressed optimism about the upcoming ruling.

“The legal arguments made by the defense will be upheld by the judges, and an acquittal on all four counts may result from this. The prosecution has admitted that this trial is not the MFDC trial and that nothing proves that it is the rebellion movement that is the culprit. Nothing in the indictment indicates that it is the MFDC, and it is hoped that these innocent people will finally return to their families,” Ly stated.

The prosecution, however, remains firm on the charges of complicity in attempted assassination and murder, as well as the association to commit a felony.

The upcoming ruling on August 29 will determine the fate of René Capain Bassène and Oumar Ampoi Bodian, bringing to a close a case that has gripped the nation and raised critical questions about justice and due process.