Gambiaj.com – (Capua, Italy) – A 21-year-old Bangladeshi man has been remanded in custody by an Italian court over the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old Gambian boy, Alagie Sabally, in the kitchen of a restaurant in Sant’Angelo in Formis, a district of Capua in Caserta province.
The accused, Pranto Hawlader, is charged with the murder of Sabally, who died on Sunday afternoon amid a public event at Masseria Adinolfi, a countryside venue where both young men were working.
The preliminary investigations judge, Daniela Vecchiarelli, upheld Hawlader’s detention following a validation hearing at the court in Santa Maria Capua Vetere on Monday.
The two had reportedly known each other since their time in a local migrant community. Hawlader, now employed as an assistant cook at the Masseria, told prosecutors he got into a heated argument with Sabally, which escalated into a physical confrontation.
He claimed he picked up a pair of scissors to defend himself from Sabally’s punches, insisting he had no intention of killing the teenager.
However, during the validation hearing, Hawlader offered a revised version of events, stating that Sabally had taken the scissors from his hand but held them improperly – with the blade pointing toward himself – and accidentally stabbed himself while trying to lunge at Hawlader.
This account, while consistent with the suspect’s earlier statements, was dismissed as implausible by Judge Vecchiarelli, who found enough grounds to order his continued detention.
The credibility of the account was further undermined by evidence that the scissors had been washed after the incident, leaving only faint traces of blood.
Conflicting testimonies from witnesses also complicated the case. Emanuela Adinolfi, daughter of the restaurant owner and one of the witnesses, told investigators she saw the two men arguing and intervened to separate them, sustaining an injury herself. She confirmed seeing Hawlader with scissors but did not witness the stabbing.
Her father, Andrea Adinolfi, said he arrived after the scuffle had begun and separated the two by force but did not see any weapon in either’s hands at that moment.
An autopsy scheduled for today is expected to shed further light on the nature of the wounds sustained by Sabally. Investigators hope forensic analysis will help determine whether the injuries were consistent with self-infliction or deliberate stabbing.
Speaking to the press after the hearing, Hawlader’s lawyer, Paolo Di Furia, said his client was in shock and distraught over the incident. “Pranto is devastated by what happened. He insists he never meant to kill Alagie,” Di Furia stated.
The Gambian teen’s death has sent shockwaves through the migrant community in the region, where both youths were previously housed. Italian authorities have yet to confirm if diplomatic engagement with Gambian consular officials will follow.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues under the supervision of Deputy Prosecutors Mariangela Condello and Gionata Fiore, under the jurisdiction of the Samnite Prosecutor’s Office led by Pierpaolo Bruni.
