By: Alieu Jallow
Lamin Fofona, a resident of Sukuta Traffic Light and a watchman by profession, informed the court presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh that he couldn’t recall the September 12th police shooting.
“I can’t remember the September 12th police shooting incident,” Lamin reiterated.
He explained that he couldn’t recall the incident and that all he knew was that he went to the mosque to pray Maghrib prayers. Afterward, he sat on the fence, and that was all he could remember.
Lamin further told the court that while sitting on the fence, he saw his uncle, Adama Jobe, chasing someone whom he claimed was a thief. He ran after him, but the alleged thief threw an object at him. Lamin dived to save his head from the thrown object.
Fofona asserted that his chase of the alleged thief was futile, and he subsequently went back to his duty post, leaving his door unlocked.
PW 4 informed the court that he found a gun but threw it in an empty land. When asked by State Counsel AM Yusuf about the origin of the gun, PW4 stated that he couldn’t tell because the alleged thief was trying to hit him with an object, and he bent to save his head.
“I threw the gun in an empty area opposite my compound,” Lamin said.
He mentioned that after he threw the gun, he called his boss, Ansumana Tunkara, and his boss told him not to relate the news to anyone. Instead, he would call someone to collect the gun.
“My boss eventually called someone to pick up the gun.”
The witness was questioned on the outlook and type of the gun. Here is what he had to say, “I don’t know guns and the types of guns, so if you ask me such kind of question, how would you expect me to answer such a question?” Lamin stressed.
Defense counsel for the accused person, Counsel J Darboe, asked the witness if the gun he picked was in order or dismantled into pieces. The witness said that the gun was ripped to pieces, and he just picked it up and threw it away.
The case resumes on December 12th, 2023, for the hearing of PW 5.
