Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – The High Court has admitted a Tecno Spark 8 mobile phone belonging to Ousainou Bojang into evidence in his ongoing trial for the alleged murder of two Gambian police officers. The court’s decision follows a dispute between the prosecution and the defense over whether the phone’s cover should be considered part of the evidence.

Ousainou Bojang stands accused of opening fire on three police officers at the Sukuta traffic lights on September 12, 2023, resulting in the deaths of two officers and the severe injury of a third. He has been charged with multiple offenses, including murder and acts of terrorism, all of which he denies. His sister, Amie Bojang, is also facing charges as an accessory after the fact.

During the court proceedings, Defense Counsel Lamin J. Darboe requested the phone be handed to Bojang, who examined it and confirmed that it was similar to his, identifying it by a scratch on the back. However, he noted that the phone cover was not his. Counsel Darboe applied to tender the phone into evidence without the cover, a move that was strongly opposed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), A.M. Yusuf.

The DPP argued that the phone and its cover were presented together and should be admitted as a single unit. Counsel Darboe countered that the cover was irrelevant to the case, as it did not belong to Bojang, emphasizing that the phone itself was the key piece of evidence.

Justice Jaiteh, after reviewing the arguments from both sides, ruled that the Tecno Spark 8 and its cover were separate items and should not be considered as one unit. He highlighted that Bojang had clearly identified the phone by its scratches but did not recognize the cover. Consequently, the court admitted the Tecno Spark 8 as a distinct piece of evidence and marked it as defense exhibit D22.

The trial continues as the prosecution seeks to prove its case against Bojang, while the defense continues to challenge the allegations.