Posted by By Ya Ousainou Darboe
The prosecution witness 2 (PW2) Bakary R Jarjue, a resident of Yundum, and a soldier at The Gambia Armed Forces, attached to the training school earlier today testified before Justice Jaiteh at Banjul High Court on the alleged shooting case that involved one Ousainou Bojang.
Recalling what happened on the 12th of September 2023 at Sukuta Jabang traffic light, PW2 said, they (PW2, Omar S Jallow, and Ismaila Bojang) were on their way home from the beach when the incident occurred. “We went to Senegambia beach for training, when coming back after Maghreb prayer, we had a lift to the Sukuta traffic light. We dropped there and decided to buy dinner. We asked Omar to buy afra for us. During that time, we crossed the road to the other side and stood under a veranda, behind three police officers.” He testified.
PW2 continued, “these three (3) police officers, the first guy was on the other side of the road, the other guy was standing in the middle with an AK47 and the female was sitting on the right-hand side. I then heard a gunshot, I turned and saw the man with the AK47 on the floor, I thought it was a negligent discharge. I saw the other police officer who was on the left, he stood up, the shooter wanted to take the AK47 but he was scrambling with the second police officer and he shot him (the second police officer). He took a few steps away, and shot the female officer,” PW2 stated.
Recounting how the shooter fled the scene, PW2 said, the gunman ran to the Sukuta Traffic light roundabout where people were overcrowded, and opened fire. “I knew he opened fire because I heard a sound of a pistol”.
He continued, “after firing the shot, he just ran and bent on the right-hand side, so we (myself, Ismaila, and Omar) started chasing him. After pursuing him for meters, he released another shot, whom he released the shot at I don’t know. We continued chasing him, and he turned again and fired,” testified PW2.
PW2 disclosed that, during the pursuit of the gunman, he entered an incomplete building in a bushy area. “Ismaila Bojang wanted to follow him and I told him the gunman was armed and we are not armed and it could be dangerous for us. Secondly, the area is dark and we don’t know his exact location. Let’s go back to the scene”.
According to PW2, they went back to the scene and did a search where they picked two empty cases, 1 by him and 1 by Ismaila. After having the bullet cases in their custody, he said he saw a police officer and he identified himself and his colleagues to the officer, “I told him that we are soldiers and the police officer told us that one SIU officer wants to talk to me. I first insisted but I later acknowledged and I explained everything that happened to the SIU officer. I handed over the empty cases to him and it was handed over to his senior then one Sowe” he testified.
Describing the shooter PW2 disclosed, he was tall, slim man and he was wearing a haftan and shoes that covered his feet up to his ankle, however, PW2 couldn’t say his skin colour or the colour of the haftan because it was dark, he testified.
The matter was adjourned to the 6th of November 2023 for cross-examination by the defense counsel.