Photo credit: Kexx
A magistrate leaned forward in silence on Monday as Mam Jarra Jarjue removed her sunglasses and headscarf, revealing burn scars that she says were inflicted when hot oil was poured on her face.
The moment came during proceedings at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, where prosecutors are pursuing charges against Jainaba Faye, accused of attacking her cook in Bakoteh.
Ms. Jarjue, the complainant, resumed her testimony before A. Manneh, offering a measured but painful account of her hospitalization and the lasting effects of the alleged assault.
Led in evidence by E. Camara, Ms. Jarjue told the court she was rushed to Kanifing General Hospital after the incident.
“I was taken to the emergency unit at Kanifing Hospital, and around 20:00, I was moved to the surgical unit, where I was admitted for one week before being discharged,” she testified.
After her release, she reported the matter to the police and was escorted to obtain a medical certificate documenting her injuries. Prosecutors later sought to admit the certificate into evidence, prompting an objection from Ms. Faye, who said she had not previously been shown the document.
Magistrate Manneh overruled the objection, allowing the certificate to be entered into the record while noting that the court would determine its evidentiary weight at the close of the case.
Ms. Jarjue testified that her face remains swollen and visibly marked, adding that her vision has been affected. “I can’t see clearly now,” she said.
To support her testimony, prosecutors presented photographs taken shortly after the incident. Ms. Jarjue identified herself in the images, saying they were captured on her mobile phone while she was wearing a pink-and-yellow dress. The court admitted the photographs as Exhibit PE3 without objection from the defense.
At the prosecution’s request, Ms. Jarjue then removed her sunglasses and head tie, allowing the magistrate and those seated in the gallery to observe the burn marks directly.
Asked about the cost of her medical treatment, she said she could not provide an exact figure, explaining that her sister had been paying her hospital bills.
With that, Sergeant Camara indicated he had no further questions. Ms. Faye is expected to begin cross-examining the witness when the case resumes. Magistrate Manneh adjourned proceedings until March 13, 2026.
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