By Cecilia E.L. Mendy
A cousin of the accused Monday testified in the trial of Salieu Gaye over an alleged shooting at Envy Night Club in Fajara, before Her Worship A. Manneh at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.
Gaye faces charges of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Inspector C.B. Jallow appeared for the Inspector General of Police, while D. Badjie represented the accused.
Prosecutors allege that on January 19, 2026, at Envy Night Club, Gaye attempted to murder Muhammed Buhary Mendy by shooting him three times in the stomach with a Taurus-brand pistol. The accused also faces a separate charge of possessing an unlicensed firearm.
Testifying as the first prosecution witness, Abdou Faal, a resident of Fajara, said Gaye, who resides abroad, had been staying at their family compound at the time of the incident.
Faal told the court that on the night in question, Gaye went out with his sisters and later returned to pick him up. They bought balloons and “fast gas,” a tank containing a substance used as a drug, before heading to the nightclub. Both paid D1,000 each for entry.
About five minutes after entering, the gas reportedly finished. Gaye asked Faal to accompany him to seek either a replacement or a refund from the seller.
Faal said they encountered a group of young men inside the club, including the alleged seller, identified as Muhammed Buhary. An argument ensued, and the parties moved outside to negotiate a refund. According to Faal, the victim initially agreed to refund D2,000, but the money was not delivered after over an hour.
The witness said the victim later came out alone. Gaye approached him to remind him about the refund, after which the victim allegedly challenged him, prompting Gaye to fire shots. Faal said he was near a taxi when he heard two gunshots but did not see the victim being hit.
Both men reportedly got into the same taxi and later alighted at Legacy Junction, where they were arrested. Faal said he later saw the pistol at the police station and identified it in court as the weapon used in the incident.
Defense counsel objected to the admission of the pistol as evidence, arguing that Faal was not the recovering officer and could not confirm it was the same firearm. The defense also claimed that the accused was being “tried by ambush.” The prosecution urged the court to overrule the objection.
The case was adjourned to March 3, 2026, for a ruling.
