By Landing Ceesay
The suspect at the heart of the gruesome murder of a young Gambian IT expert Momodou Lamarana Jallow appeared in court Wednesday accused of killing Jallow, believed to be her boyfriend.
The suspect, Kumba Sinyan, 25, trembled after seeing the First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the Witness Box.
She was brought to court to take her plea, and not surprisingly she pleaded not guilty, paving way for what is expected to be an emotional trial to ascertain the doer and the circumstances of the apparent murder of the former GCCI staff.
Prosecutors alleged that the suspect on or about the 14th of September 2022 at The Friendship Hostel in Bakau, with malice aforethought, caused the death of one Lamarana Jallow by cutting his stomach with an object and thereby committed an offence punishable with death under section 188 of the Criminal Code Cap of the Laws of the Gambia 2009.
Prosecutors went ahead to call Deputy Superintendent of Police Foday Conta, as the first witness who introduced himself as the Task Force Commander on the night the incident happened.
He explained that he led the team that arrested Kumba Sinyan at her home in Bakau New Town on the 14th of September 2022.
But as the policeman was entering the witness box, the accused Kumba, could be seen visibly trembling on seeing the witness, prompting her lawyer, Counsel S. Twum to stand up and request the court to allow Kumba Sinyan (the accused) to sit down as she was not feeling well.
At this point, presiding judge Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh asked the accused person whether she is sick.
“No, I am not sick. I am nervous and shaking” Kumba Sinyan responded.
Justice Jobarteh then asked her again whether it is okay for her to sit, but Kumba Sinyan told the judge that she is okay standing.
But when she continued shaking and trembling, Justice Jobarteh asked the Prison Officers to provide her with a chair to sit which they did and Kumba sat down.
The witness then continued to explain that when they arrested Kumba and came with her to the Hostel it was raining heavily and Kumba told them that she could not come down from the vehicle because she did not want her hair to be wet.
PW1 said they then covered her and went straight to room 111. He told the court that he was holding Kumba’s hand but Immediately they approach room 111 he sensed Kumba’s hand started trembling even though he was helping by holding her hand.
As PW1 continues to narrate this in the courtroom yesterday, Kumba started crying heavily until Justice Jobarteh had to ask her what was wrong, but she couldn’t respond to the Judge.
At this point her lawyer Counsel S. Twum requested for the judge to allow her to speak with Kumba which was granted and the two spoke for about 2 to 3 minutes after which Kumba stopped crying and the witness continued giving his testimony to the court.
The trial continues on Friday for the defense to cross- examine the witness .