By: Alieu Jallow
In the ongoing trial concerning the Sukuta-Jabang fatal police shooting incident, defendant Ousainou Bojang has raised concerns over the handling of his mobile phone, which was presented as evidence in court. Bojang alleges that the authorities reset the phone, resulting in the loss of crucial data. He further claims that after the reset, he no longer had access to the phone and does not know the PIN code that was applied, making it impossible for him to unlock it. Bojang stated, “The smartphone is mine, but I can’t unlock it because it is locked with a PIN code.”
Defence counsel J. Darboe gave the first accused two mobile phones—a smartphone and a simple phone—to identify whether the devices belonged to him.
The first accused claimed that the smartphone, which looked identical to his, had been reset and that he was asked to provide a PIN code. He stated that he could not access the phone because it required a PIN code, emphasizing that he could only verify ownership if he could access the programs on the phone.
He also denied ownership of the simple phone tendered in court, stating that it was not his. The accused further testified that he had deactivated all security codes on his phone, including pattern locks and app locks, but alleged that Detective Couple Ebou Sowe coerced him into deactivating them.
Counsel J. Darboe requested the presiding judge to issue a court order for the services of an IT expert to unlock the phone and verify the data. Justice Jaiteh granted the request, allowing the defence to procure the services of an expert to unlock the phone.
The case was adjourned to tomorrow, 21st January 2025, at 14:15.
