By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
Senior Lamin J. Darboe on Monday, 4 December 2023 continued with his marathon cross-examination of Mama Jabbi, who said he was the one who reported the alleged police shooter, OusainouBojang, while in Jululung, Senegal.
OusainouBojang, a resident of Brufut, was charged with murder, attempted murder, terrorist act and assault causing grievous bodily harm.Ousainiu’s sister, Amie Bojang, was charged with Accessory After the Fact to Murder.
Mama Jabbi was inter-paused to allow a witness from Qcell to testify.
Omar Cham, a legal officer at Qcell, tendered the call records of Mama Jabbi’sQcell number. There was no objection from the State Counsel, Abdul Maita Yusuf. The court admitted it into the records and marked the document as a defence exhibit.
Omar Cham was discharged and Lawyer Darboe proceeded to cross-examine Mama Jabbi.
Mama Jabbi stated that she removed her Qcell and Africell SIM cards because of the insults she had received after divulging the information on social media about the incident. She said it her two months to remove her Qcell while her Africellsim was the first to be removed.
Lawyer Lamin J. Darboe told Mama Jabbi that she was using her Africell SIM card recently, but Mama Jabbi denied it. Counsel Darboe requested exhibit C1 from the court. The lawyer said the call logs from Africell showed that she was using her phone until 22 November 2023. Mama Jabbi maintained that she was not using it.
Counsel J. Darboe moved on to ask Mama Jabbi about one Musa Camara, an employee of GRA, while she said was the person she called to inform him that he was with the alleged police shooter.
Mama Jabbi confirmed to the court that she knew Musa Camara’s mother, whose name she stated was Mainuna Barrow and a resident of Yundum Yarambamba.
When Lawyer Darboe asked if the witness if was related to President Barrow, State Counsel A.M. Yusuf objected claiming that the answer would be hearsay. Counsel Lamin J. Darboe argued that the question aimed to elicit factual evidence.
Trial Judge, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh overruled the objection and held that the question sought to bring out facts.
Mama Jabbi answered that Mainuna Barrow is related to the President. Counsel Darboe further questioned Mama Jabbi about the details of their relationship, to which the witness responded that they are related through both parents.
Counsel Darboe told the witness that her testimony under cross-examination contradicted her initial testimony during evidence-in-chief. During her testimony, Mama Jabbi had earlier denied knowing how Musa Camara’s mother is related to the President. The witness said she never say that she does not know President Adama Barrow’s relationship with Musa Camera’s mother even though the Lawyer read her testimony to her.
Counsel Darboe asked Mama Jabbi about her visit in MankamangKunda, President Adama Barrow’s hometown in the last three months. Mama Jabbi stated that she could not remember. Counsel Darboe then put to her (Mama Jabbi) that she was physically present in MamkamangKunda on 30 September 2023, 1 October 2023 and 12 October 2023. The Counsel was making reference to her call records. Mama Jabbi denied that saying she only passed the village to attend a burial. She stated that she couldn’t remember going to MankamangKunda.
Counsel Darboe told the witness that she fabricated the story against the Accused Person to get One Million Dalasi (D1, 000,000) promised by the President. The State counsel objected to the question stating that it was an insult to the witness as he made citations from the Evidence Act. The presiding Judge allowed the question. Mama Jabbi denied fabricating any story.
Mama Jabbi was discharged after cross-examination by Defence Counsel H. Farage for the second accused person (Amie Bojang). Counsel Farage’s questioning was more of trying to show the contradictions in Mama Jabbi’s written statement and her testimony in court. The case was adjourned to Tuesday (today) at 10 am for hearing of another prosecution witness.
