In a gripping development in the murder trial of Ousainou Bojang and his sister Amie Bojang, a resident of Brufut, the accused took the stand to testify in court yesterday. Ousainou Bojang faces charges of murder, attempted murder, committing a terrorist act, and assault causing grievous bodily harm, while his sister Amie Bojang is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

The trial, which has been characterized by its intensity and complexity, entered a new phase as Ousainou Bojang, in the voir-dire trial, alleged that he was drugged and beaten while obtaining his statement. This led to the court putting the main case on hold to address these allegations before resuming the main trial.

During the cross-examination by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) A.M. Yusuf, Ousainou Bojang recounted the events surrounding his arrest on September 13th, 2023. He claimed he was taken to the anti-crime unit around 5 pm on the same day and was not in a good state of mind to give a statement that night. He also denied thumb-printing the documents presented to him that night, stating that the papers he thumb-printed were all empty sheets.

The DPP presented various exhibits to Ousainou Bojang, including P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 A, B, and C, which contained charges and statements related to the case. Ousainou Bojang consistently denied agreeing with the charges and stated that the papers he thumb-printed at the airport, where he claims he was when Ebou Sowe obtained his statement, were for different charges.

The cross-examination also touched on the presence of Alieu Cham, a key figure in the case, at the anti-crime unit on September 15th, 2023. Ousainou Bojang maintained that apart from briefly seeing Alieu Cham at the airport, he had never met him before.

After the completion of the cross-examination, the court discharged Ousainou Bojang as a witness in the voir-dire trial and proceeded to call Amie Bojang, the second accused, to the witness box. Amie Bojang corroborated her brother’s account of events, stating that she was also taken to the anti-crime unit on Thursday, September 13th, 2023, where she spent the night.

During her cross-examination, Amie Bojang reiterated that she did not see Alieu Cham at the anti-crime unit on September 15th, 2023, and described the security procedures at the unit, including the checking of phones and recording of names at the entrance gate.

The court adjourned the case to the following day for the continuation of the cross-examination, as the allocated time had elapsed. The trial continues to unfold with each testimony adding new layers to the complex case.