By: Alieu Jallow
Ousainou Bojang, the first accused person in the police shooting incident at Sukuta-Jabang, refutes claims that he thumbprinted the September 13 cautionary statement obtained by Police Detective Ebou Sowe, emphasizing that he was made to thumbprint blank papers with no writing on them.
During cross-examination by state prosecutor AM Yusuf, the witness was questioned about his earlier statement regarding Ebou Sowe bringing him out of his cell to thumbprint some papers. The first accused person affirmed being removed from his cell by Police Officer Ebou Sowe to an office space within the Anti-crime complex to thumbprint some blank papers.
At this point, the state prosecutor AM Yusuf presented some exhibits to the witness for perusal, asking him to confirm if they were the documents he thumbprinted. After carefully examining the exhibits, the first accused person outright denied and insisted on thumbprinting blank white papers.
“I thumbprinted white papers,” he stressed.
Earlier in his testimony, Ousainou Bojang rebutted the police’s claim of escorting him to the Anti-crime unit complex following his arrest on September 13, 2023, in Djulunlung. He stated he was brought to the complex in the evening around 5 PM.
“The statement that was obtained from you at the airport, what time was it?” questioned AM Yusuf, the state prosecutor.
“After the two clock prayers,” replied the first accused person.
Given an exhibit to examine, he reiterated that on September 13, 2023, he was made to thumbprint blank papers with no writing on them.
On Friday, September 15, 2023, Ebou Sowe, a police detective posted at the Anti-crime unit, told the court that he obtained the cautionary statement from the first accused person, Ousainou Bojang, in the presence of an independent witness, Alieu Cham, at the Anti-Crime complex in Banjulunding. This statement was refuted by the first accused person, who emphasized that it was taken at the airport police station, and that he only met Alieu Cham, the independent witness, on that same day, the same date, and no other date.
The case resumes on Wednesday, February 28, for the testimony of the second accused person, Amie Bojang.
