Third Witness Says He Saw Accused Flee After Yunusa Mbaye Collapsed During Fatal Altercation

A prosecution witness testified before the High Court on Thursday that he saw the accused flee after Yunusa Mbaye collapsed bleeding during an altercation in Fajara, though he acknowledged under cross-examination that he did not witness the actual stabbing.

The witness, Abdoulie Ceesay, the prosecution’s third witness (PW3), told the court that he recognized both the accused and the deceased and saw them moments before Mbaye fell to the ground.

The case is being prosecuted by State Counsel A. Drammeh, while Counsel C. Mendy represents the accused.

Ceesay, a mechanic from Bundung Borehole, testified that he had left his garage to buy breakfast when he encountered the incident at a junction in Fajara. As he crossed the road, he said, he saw Mbaye walking ahead of the accused. At the time, he believed the two men were merely chasing one another and only later realized they had been involved in a fight.

According to his testimony, Mbaye collapsed shortly afterward, bleeding heavily. Ceesay said the accused did not continue the assault but instead ran from the scene.

“I went to check on the victim,” he told the court, adding that six or seven other people soon gathered, while some pursued the fleeing suspect.

A taxi arrived moments later, and bystanders placed the injured man inside. Ceesay described the injuries as severe, saying the amount of blood frightened him and that the wound appeared so serious that the victim’s intestines seemed exposed.

By then, he said, members of the public had already apprehended the accused and brought him back to the scene.

Ceesay testified that he was too frightened to accompany Mbaye to the hospital, saying only the taxi driver transported the victim because others present were also afraid.

After the victim was taken away, the accused remained at the scene as members of the crowd insisted he should not be allowed to leave. Ceesay said he remarked that he doubted the victim would survive, after which the crowd began beating the accused.

According to the witness, the accused repeatedly said the incident had not been intentional.

Ceesay testified that he intervened, urging the crowd to stop assaulting the accused and instead hand him over to the police, noting that it was not yet known whether the victim would survive.

He further told the court that, as the accused was being escorted away, another man who recognized him remarked: “You wanted to bring me down, but see what God has done.”

At the police station, Ceesay said, the accused accused him of taking D500 from him. Police officers recorded his contact information, and he informed them that the accused had stabbed someone.

During cross-examination, defense counsel challenged the witness’s account, emphasizing that he had not actually seen the stabbing.

Ceesay acknowledged that he did not witness the moment Mbaye was stabbed. However, he maintained that the accused was responsible, explaining that only the accused and the deceased were at the junction before other people arrived and that he saw the accused running behind Mbaye as the latter collapsed.

Defense counsel further suggested that Ceesay had not been present when the incident occurred and therefore could not identify the assailant. The witness rejected that suggestion, maintaining that he personally observed the aftermath, including what he described as a stab wound to the victim’s neck and the accused backing away after seeing the blood.

Ceesay also acknowledged that he did not know what weapon had been used or what the accused’s intentions were.

He denied relying on information provided by others, insisting his testimony was based solely on what he personally observed.

The witness further confirmed that he did not accompany Mbaye to the hospital because he was frightened by the injuries and admitted that, after the accused was apprehended, he himself joined members of the crowd in assaulting him. He also confirmed that he had no law enforcement or medical training.

The prosecution then called its fourth witness, Police Officer Ousman Jammeh, who is stationed at Kairaba Police Station.

Jammeh testified that on June 15, 2026, at approximately 2:17 p.m., he received a report of a murder behind GTBank in Fajara and proceeded to the scene with fellow officers.

By the time they arrived, he said, the victim had already been taken to the hospital.

Jammeh testified that bystanders told police Mbaye had been sitting beneath a tree listening to music while marking students’ examination scripts when the accused, Momodou Bah, approached, sat beside him and asked him to lower the volume of his Bluetooth speaker.

According to the accounts he received at the scene, Mbaye refused, an argument escalated into a physical confrontation, and the accused stabbed him.

Jammeh said officers observed bloodstains extending from the area where the victim had been seated and transported witnesses to the police station to provide statements.

Under cross-examination, however, Jammeh acknowledged that his account of the altercation was based on information provided by witnesses rather than his own observations.

He confirmed that the accused had already been taken to the police station before he arrived and that the only thing he personally observed at the scene was bloodstains on the ground.

Jammeh also testified that Crime Scene Investigation officers had reached the location before his team and were already processing the scene when he arrived. Although he said CSI officers were responsible for examining the crime scene, he confirmed that he did not personally interact with them.

Justice presiding over the matter adjourned the case until July 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.