The High Court in Banjul has directed the Inspector General of Police, along with the managing directors of QTV, Kerr Fatou, and the Fatu Network, to submit video footage of a police press conference held on September 15, 2023, concerning the shooting of Police Intervention Unit (PIU) officers.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh issued the order following an oral application by defence lawyer Lamin J. Darboe, representing the first accused, Ousainou Bojang. The judge referenced testimony from the Deputy Inspector General of Police confirming the press briefing took place with various media houses in attendance.
The judge emphasized that the public nature of the briefing and its content were not in dispute, and as such, the video could be important to the defence. He invoked Section 221 of the Evidence Act, which empowers the court to demand documents or materials necessary for a fair resolution of a case.
In a related development, the court was presented with an audio recording of an interview conducted on September 14, 2023, in which government spokesperson Ebrima G. Sankareh appeared on West Coast Radio. The recording was submitted by the station’s programme controller, Therese F. Gomez, and played in court.
During the proceedings, the second accused’s lawyer, A. Sillah, continued cross-examining Sankareh. The spokesperson testified that he was only aware of Ousainou Bojang’s arrest at the time of the interview. He also said he had no knowledge of whether the government had fulfilled its promise of a one million dalasi reward for information that led to the arrest.
Sankareh stated he gave the interview to help reassure the public following a rare and shocking incident in which two police officers were killed and another wounded. He clarified that his comments reflected the information available to the state at the time.
He firmly denied ever stating in the interview that the suspect belonged to a political party or worked as an assassin with experience in Casamance.
The hearing is set to continue on June 30.
