Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – 25-year-old Ismaila Janneh’s murder trial has commenced at the High Court in Banjul. Janneh is accused of fatally stabbing Alieu Jallow in a confrontation allegedly over suspicions of phone theft. Janneh is charged with a single count of murder under Section 187 of the Criminal Code, punishable by death under Section 188.

The State, represented by State Counsel Sheikh Omar Sibbie on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions. According to the indictment, the incident occurred on December 27, 2023, in Ghana Town, Brufut, Kombo North District of the West Coast Region.

Prosecutors allege that Janneh acted “with malice aforethought” when he stabbed Jallow with a knife during a heated altercation.

The prosecution’s case hinges on multiple eyewitness accounts, beginning with Babucarr Manneh, who claims to have been with the victim at the time of the attack. In his expected testimony, Manneh will recount how the accused allegedly began insulting Jallow, prompting a fight. “He pulled out a knife and stabbed him,” Manneh is quoted as saying in the prosecution’s summary of evidence.

A second witness, Momodou Fa Nyama Jallow, reportedly overheard the accused threatening to stab Jallow over an alleged phone theft while seated at a nearby football field. He is expected to testify that he saw the stabbing happen “before his very eyes.”

Police Officer Muhammeh Baldeh, who was part of the Anti-Crime Unit response team at Brufut, will provide an account of the police response. He stated that he helped transport Jallow’s body to the district hospital, from where the victim was referred to Kanifing General Hospital. Jallow was pronounced dead on arrival.

Two other police officers—D/Cadet Inspector Lamin Sonko and D/CIP Dodou Sanneh—are also slated to testify about the cautionary and voluntary statements given by the accused during the investigation. These statements are considered critical to the prosecution’s case and are expected to be tendered as evidence in court.

The final prosecution witness will be Dr. Ousman Leigh, a government pathologist, who is expected to present findings from the postmortem examination. His testimony is anticipated to confirm the cause of death and the nature of the fatal injuries.

Janneh remains in custody as the trial proceeds. If convicted, he faces a possible death sentence. While capital punishment remains part of The Gambia’s criminal code, executions have not been carried out in recent years.

During a preliminary hearing, presiding judge Justice Ebrima Jaiteh urged both parties to expedite proceedings, remarking, “We should not waste time on this case.”

The trial continues.