By Mariama Marong
A police officer from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has told the High Court that murder suspect Harouna Tine was neither forced nor tortured during the process of obtaining his cautionary statement at the Serekunda Police Station.
Tine is currently on trial for the alleged murder of Fatoumata Kargbo, in a case that continues to draw public and legal interest.
Testifying before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh at the Banjul High Court, CID officer Elizabeth Silver, stationed in Bakau, stated that Tine gave his statement willingly and without any form of intimidation. Her testimony came during a voir dire — a trial within the main trial — to determine the admissibility of the accused’s cautionary statement.
“The accused was in a convenient state and not under pressure,” Officer Silver told the court. “We were having a normal conversation with him at the time, and his statement was given in the presence of an independent witness.”
Tine, who is accused of the murder of Fatoumata Kargbo, has alleged that police officers intimidated and coerced him during his interrogation. The prosecution, led by M. Singateh, opened the voir dire to rebut those claims.
When questioned by State Counsel Singateh, Officer Silver named the individuals present during the statement-taking: an independent witness, Detective Landing Jallow, and a police officer named Sonko.
She also recalled a conversation with the accused in which he was informed that Fatoumata Kargbo had died from her injuries.
“When we told him the woman had passed away, he said it’s better to take his own life,” Silver testified. “We responded that our role is to protect life, not take it. He then said ‘lock me up,’ and we told him that only the court has that authority.”
During cross-examination, defence counsel Samuel Ade pressed the witness on whether Tine had been advised of his right to remain silent until the presence of legal counsel. Before Silver could respond, State Counsel Singateh objected, arguing that the question was irrelevant since the statement was taken in the presence of an independent witness.
Silver clarified that while Tine’s lawyer was not present, an independent witness was, and that Tine had thumb-printed both of his statements. She added that her junior colleague, who later took over the statement, informed her that Tine even accepted the charge.
When Defence Counsel Ade accused her of being untruthful, Silver maintained, “What I said is the truth, and I was accurately informed by my junior.”
With Silver’s testimony, the prosecution closed its case in the voir dire. Justice Jaiteh adjourned the matter to July 1, 2025, at 12:30 p.m.
