Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The High Court in Banjul on Wednesday intensified scrutiny over public statements made by Gambian security officials during the murder trial of Ousainou Bojang and his sister, Amie Bojang.
Presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the court continued hearing evidence, including a video recording of a police press briefing delivered by National Security Adviser Abubakary Sulayman Jeng in September 2023.
In the video, Jeng claimed that the main accused, Ousainou Bojang, confessed to acquiring a firearm from Cassamance and being affiliated with a rebel group there.
“The suspect, Ousainou Bojang, from his mouth, told us that he acquired the weapon from Cassamance and he’s part of the rebel group in Casamance,” Jeng was heard stating in the video, which has now been admitted as part of the court record.
Defense lawyer Lamin J. Darboe, representing Ousainou Bojang, requested the video be played in court. No objections were raised, and the application was granted.
However, under cross-examination, Jeng admitted that he never spoke directly to Bojang, nor did he personally verify the alleged confession or see the weapon involved.
He also acknowledged that he did not request any video or audio recording of Bojang’s supposed admission. Jeng said he relied solely on intelligence reports and briefed the president accordingly.
When pressed on the motive of the incident, Jeng conceded that no clear motive had been established. He further admitted that he had no information on whether any forensic or DNA tests were conducted, nor could he confirm the availability of CCTV footage previously mentioned during the same press briefing.
Jeng defended his decision to publicly address the matter, stating that it was necessary to “calm public fear” following what he described as an “unprecedented incident.” He also confirmed that it was the only press briefing he had conducted since assuming the role of National Security Adviser, despite other serious incidents occurring during his tenure.
Amie Bojang’s lawyer, Adama Sillah, questioned Jeng’s public claim that six suspects were involved in the case when no such evidence had been presented in court.
“I don’t know whether the information I gave is different,” Jeng responded, noting that he was relying on unnamed sources at the time.
The prosecution later produced the statement Jeng read during the press briefing, which was admitted into evidence and marked as exhibit DD4.
Portions of the statement, including claims about the arrest of six suspects, were read aloud in court. Jeng was unable to verify the accuracy of the information or identify the sources.
Justice Jaiteh remarked that the CCTV footage referenced during the briefing could play a crucial role in clarifying the case. He also encouraged the government to consider installing a nationwide surveillance system to enhance security.
In a separate development during the hearing, defense lawyer Darboe successfully applied for the court to summon military officer Omar S. Jallow to testify. Jallow had been listed as a prosecution witness but was never called to the stand.
Justice Jaiteh ruled in favor of the application, emphasizing the accused’s constitutional and international legal right to call witnesses in their defense.
“Denying this opportunity would undermine a fair trial,” the judge stated.
The court ordered Jallow to appear on July 7, 2025, warning that failure to comply without a valid reason would constitute contempt of court.
