Justice Ebrima Jaiteh has issued a stern rebuke to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for failing to comply with a court order requiring his presence, or that of a representative, in an ongoing murder trial related to a police shooting incident.
The court had directed the IGP, along with QTV Gambia, Kerr Fatou, and The Fatu Network, to produce video footage of a police press briefing concerning the shooting. While all three media outlets complied and presented the requested footage in court, the IGP neither appeared nor sent a delegate.
Describing the IGP’s failure to respond as “unacceptable, unprincipled, and contrary to the rule of law,” Justice Jaiteh emphasized the importance of respecting judicial authority. “The IGP should have appeared or, at the very least, delegated someone to represent him out of respect for this court,” he said.
The footage in question is pertinent to the trial of Ousainou Bojang and Amie Bojang, who are facing murder charges related to the incident. The court had issued a formal order to the IGP, which, according to Justice Jaiteh, was duly served via one Inspector Kanteh.
“Despite being served, the Inspector General of Police has neither appeared nor provided any justification for his absence,” Justice Jaiteh noted. “However, since the media houses have complied with the court’s directive, we will proceed to examine the materials they have submitted.”
Justice Jaiteh stated that the court’s intention in summoning both the police and the media was to ensure transparency and eliminate ambiguity. “The media houses have submitted their respective recordings. In the absence of the IGP’s version, we will rely on the available evidence.”
The matter continues to unfold as the court reviews the submitted footage and proceeds with the trial.