By Nelson Manneh
Lawyer Abdul Maita Yusuf, the Principal State Counsel in the murder case involving Yankuba Touray said Ousman Koro Ceesay’s dead was not investigated by the State.
Counsel Yusuf said this on Wednesday, 8th July while objecting to defence counsel, A. Sisoho’s application for the Coroner’s Inquest Report in respect of the demise of Ousman Koro Ceesay to be produced by the Judicial Secretary.
One of the subpoenas was for the court to order the Judicial Secretary to produce the Coroner’s Inquest Report in respect of the dead of Ousman Koro Ceesay while the other was for the court to order for the Executive Secretary of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to produce the official statement of Edward Singhatey and his statement on the dead of Ousman Koro Ceesay.
A.M. Yusuf said there was no Police investigation with regards to the death of one Ousman Koro Ceesay which shows that there was no coroner’s inquest. Yusuf said there cannot be a coroner’s inquest without a police investigation.
“If there was no investigation, that means there was no coroner’s inquest,” Yusuf said, adding such a document does not exist.
Regarding the TRRC, Lawyer Yusuf in his objection said Edward Singhatey is not a listed witness in the case and therefore, the official statement he made before the TRRC with regards to the death of Ousman Koro Ceesay is not relevant to the case.
He said if the Defence wants Edward Singhatey statement to be produced before the court, let them bring him (Edward) as a witness.
53-year-old Touray was a long-serving Minister of Local Government and Lands. Retired Captain Touray was also a member of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) after they overthrew the PPP 30-year rule. The former military officer turned politician was accused of the murder of former Minister of Finance, Ousman Koro Ceesay under the AFPRC reign. The prosecution alleged that Touray (now a businessman) used a pestle-like weapon to murder Ceesay in June 1995 at his (Touray’s) residence. Touray denied any wrongdoing as he pleaded his constitutional immunity, but the court entered a plea of not guilty for him.
