Murder Accused Claims He Was Knocked Unconscious Before Fatal Stabbing; Defence Challenges CCTV Disclosure

Arona Tine testifies he was attacked by three unknown men before Fatoumatta Kargbo was killed; the defence alleges the prosecution withheld full surveillance footage

Tine, a Senegalese electrician standing trial for the murder of Fatoumatta Kargbo, took the stand at the High Court this week, testifying that he was rendered unconscious by an assailant moments before the fatal stabbing occurred — and that he played no role in her death.

Arona Tine, appearing as the first defence witness before Justice Jaiteh, gave his account of the events of 19 January 2024, when Kargbo was stabbed at a money transfer bureau in Westfield. Before his testimony commenced, however, proceedings were briefly dominated by a dispute over the completeness of CCTV evidence submitted by the prosecution.

Defence counsel Samuel Ade informed the court that the defence had previously filed a formal notice requesting the production of the bureau’s full CCTV recording. Ade argued that the prosecution had submitted only a portion of the footage and had withheld an extended version that would show the accused entering the premises — a disclosure the defence contends was selectively made to favour the state’s case.

State counsel A. Gibba rejected that characterisation, maintaining that the prosecution had tendered all footage in its possession and could not produce material it did not have.

Ade countered that a continuously operating CCTV system would, by its nature, have captured the complete sequence of events. He formally placed on record that the defence’s request for the full recording remained unmet before proceedings moved forward.

Testifying in Wolof, Tine told the court he lives in Willing Kama and operates a registered electrical engineering company providing wiring, generator, and solar system services. He said he is married with two children.

Tine explained that while he was familiar with the area around the Westfield bureau — owing to a nearby building materials supplier he frequented for work — he had never previously entered the bureau itself. He stated that 19 January 2024 was the first and only occasion he had done so, having gone there to send money to his brother in Senegal.

Upon entering, he greeted Kargbo and explained his intention. She informed him that Wave transfers to Senegal were not something she handled directly, but she offered to contact someone who could assist. While those arrangements were being made, Tine said three men entered the bureau in rapid succession, positioning themselves to his left, right, and behind him.

One man asked him to be patient and wait his turn. Another asked him for the time. As Tine looked down at his watch, he said he was struck with a heavy blow to the eyebrow and lost consciousness.

“The blow was so heavy that I could not tell whether it was a stone or something else,” he told the court.

Tine said that upon regaining some awareness, he found himself disoriented on the floor of the bureau. He saw Kargbo moving toward the exit before she collapsed, and heard people outside shouting that a woman had been stabbed. He said he then noticed a knife lying on the bureau floor.

As a hostile crowd gathered outside and threatened him, Tine said he picked up the knife in a state of fear and confusion, held it to his throat, and told the crowd he would harm himself before allowing them to attack him. He said vendors and bystanders advanced on him regardless, and he wounded himself before losing consciousness a second time.

He next regained awareness at Ndemban Clinic, where a Police Intervention Unit officer informed him of what had occurred. He received stitches for his wound and was later transferred to a hospital in Banjul, where he was told his blood level was critically low. Blood was sourced through the Jammeh Foundation, and he was subsequently transferred to Serrekunda Police Station.

At the station, Tine noted that the medication he had with him was removed and not returned to his cell, despite him being told he needed to eat before taking it. He also observed that handcuff injuries had left scars on his wrists, describing it as his first experience of being restrained in that manner.

He further told the court that when a CID officer returned his bag to him at the clinic, he was informed that the D110,000 he said he had brought to the bureau was not found inside it.

Tine told the court that he first came to The Gambia in 2013, secured a contract with Gambega, and subsequently settled permanently in the country. He said he had since worked with institutions including the American Embassy and the World Bank, and had never previously encountered any legal difficulties in either The Gambia or Senegal.

When formally reminded of the charges against him, Tine denied ever visiting the bureau prior to the day of the incident. Swearing on the Holy Quran, he categorically denied touching Fatoumatta Kargbo.

“I have sworn on the Holy Quran. I did not touch Fatoumatta Kargbo, and we were not even close. That was the first day I saw her.”

Cross-examination of the accused is scheduled for 1 July 2026 at noon.