Ousainou Bojang, charged in the killing of police officers
The trial of Ousainou and Amie Bojang, charged in the killing of police officers last year, continued on Tuesday with the testimony of a defense witness and procedural arguments over a pending motion filed by the prosecution.
The day’s proceedings opened with Defense Counsel Lamin J. Darboe notifying the court that his team had filed and served an affidavit in opposition to the State’s recent application. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed receipt of the filing.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh then inquired about the status of subpoenaed witnesses scheduled for the previous day. Asking, “Were they in court yesterday?” The DPP reported that all three witnesses had appeared in court, although only two had been formally served. The third had presented himself voluntarily after learning of the subpoena.
The court then directed the defence to present its next witness while it considered a motion for a stay of proceedings.
The defence called its fifth witness, Famara Badjie, a resident of Brufut and former colleague of the first accused, Ousainou Bojang. Badjie, who worked with Bojang at a local lodge, testified about their working relationship and the events surrounding September 12, 2023.
According to Badjie, Bojang relieved him from duty that evening in a routine shift handover. He returned to work the following day to find Bojang already on the premises but stated he could not recall any specific events from that Wednesday. Badjie explained that after his shift ended at 7:00 AM, he was relieved by a colleague named Tumani and later invited to the Banjulding Police Station, where he met an officer known as Pateh Jallow.
Badjie confirmed that a statement was taken from him by the police but noted he did not personally read it as he is unable to read. However, he confirmed his telephone number was correctly recorded and stated he would be able to verify the statement if it were read aloud to him.
With the court’s permission, Counsel Darboe read the statement to Badjie, who confirmed its accuracy and acknowledged his signature on the document. With no objection from the prosecution or the second defence counsel, the statement was admitted into evidence as Exhibit D34.
During direct examination, Badjie was questioned about a cutlass mentioned in his statement. He clarified that the cutlass belonged to the lodge and had been purchased by the owners.
Under cross-examination by Counsel Adama Sillah, Badjie confirmed that he relieved Bojang on the day of the incident and that they had worked together for a considerable period. He denied the presence or use of firearms at their workplace.
When asked about his visit to the police station, Badjie clarified, “No, I wasn’t arrested by the police; I was simply asked to come to the station.”
During further cross-examination by the DPP, Badjie confirmed his understanding that Bojang was on trial for allegedly killing police officers. He testified that he first learned of this from a family member, Famara Bojang, on September 13, 2023, as their family compound is adjacent to their workplace. He said he could not recall whether Musa Bojang had also informed him of the arrest.
Justice Jaiteh posed a follow-up question: “You told the Court that Ousainou relieved you from work on the 12th of September 2023, and you came on the 13th of September 2023 and found Ousainou Bojang lying down at the poolside with a cutlass. What did Ousainou tell you when you met him at the poolside?”
Badjie responded, “He told me that a Jamaican singer was following him and if he got him, he would kill him. He instructed the police to arrest him but later told me he was visiting his friend and then to Jujulung in Casamance to visit a Marabout.”
The witness was subsequently discharged.
Following the witness’s testimony, the court proceeded to address the State’s application challenging an earlier ruling. Counsel Adama Sillah informed the court that although an affidavit in opposition had already been prepared, new facts had since come to light that needed to be incorporated.
Counsel Sillah requested the court’s permission to file an updated response within 24 hours to reflect these new developments, which emerged through recent research.
Justice Jaiteh granted the request and directed Counsel Sillah, representing the second accused, to file the revised affidavit in opposition and serve it on the State by Wednesday. The State was instructed to file its reply by Thursday. The hearing on the application was scheduled for Monday.
The trial is set to continue on June 23, 2025, when the court is expected to hear and determine the State’s application.