By: Nicholas Bass
The Banjul High Court presided over by Honorable Justice Ebrima Jaiteh on Monday ordered the Proprietor of West Coast Radio to produce the interview audio version of the Government Spokesperson, Ebrima G. Sankareh.
Despite Mr. Sankareh not being served with the court summons to appear and testify, he appeared yesterday before Banjul High Court in the ongoing trial of Ousainou Bojang, accused of killing two police officers and injuring another.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh after hearing an unopposed application of defense counsel Adama Sillah representing the second accused person, Amie Bojang, ordered the Proprietor of West Coast Radio to produce before the court the audio recorded of an interview between the Government Spokesperson, Mr. Ebrima G. Sankareh and Mr. Peter Gomez.
It would be recalled that the Government Spokesperson, Ebrima G. Sankareh on 14 September 2023 had an interview with Peter Gomez on Coffee Time pertaining to the alleged police shooter killing two police officers, leaving the third seriously injured.
But when the sixth defense witness [DW6], the Government Spokesperson, Ebrima G. Sankareh, under cross-examination with defense counsel Adama Sillah, representing Amie Bojang, denied mentioning the name of the alleged PIU shooter.
Mr. Sankareh acknowledged having an interview with Peter Gomez on 14 September 2023. The state’s spokesperson was quick to deny having the audio interview he had with Peter Gomez when he was asked by defense counsel Sillah.
At that point defense counsel Sillah applied to the court to order the Proprietor of West Coast Radio to produce the interview of Mr. Sankareh.
The trial Judge in his ruling stated that having duly considered the ‘’relevance and probative value” of the requested material to a fair and just resolution of issues before the court, the same ”is hereby granted”.
The presiding Judge cited that section 123 of the Criminal Procedure Code and section 221 of the Evidence Act empowers the court at any stage of trial to summon or call any person as a witness.
Justice Jaiteh further stated that the Evidence Act also empowers the court to order for the production of any document or thing necessary or desirable for the purpose of discovering the truth.
He ordered the Proprietor of West Coast Radio to appear before this court and produce the complete and unaltered audio recorded of the interview conducted between Mr. Ebrima Sankareh , Government Spokesperson and Mr. Peter Gomez, as aired on 14 September 2023.
Meanwhile, Sankareh who is also a former journalist, deduced that apart from the interview he had with West Coast Radio, no media house nor a journalist had an interview with him pertaining to the alleged paramilitary shooting of 12 September 2023.
When pressed by defense counsel Darboe to confirm whether he said in an interview with West Coast that the alleged shooter Ousainou Bojang was security officer amongst the protesters who protested during Brikama Area Council chairperson’s [Yankuba Darboe] court trial which was beside Banjul Magistrates’ Court premises.
DPP Yusuf objected to his question, stating that in evidence-in-chief defense are required to ask indirect questions to the witness which according to him the statement in question was not before the court.
At that stage the defense counsel disclosed that the interview Mr.Sankareh had with West Coast Radio was also published by the print newspapers, adding that the same were admitted before the court as exhibits 17.18, 19 and 20.
Sankareh maintained that he received the information he shared on air over West Coast Radio from the Gambia Police Force, noting that the information he received was the preliminary investigation of the police which according to him it was the responsibility of the Government at the time through him did inform the public about the alleged PIU shooting.
Sankareh revealed that the alleged shooter had escaped with his alleged accomplisher into the Casamance whilst admitting that the government had promised to give D25,000 compensation the victims’ family, dismissing that he never said that the victims ‘family will be given D100,000 compensation.
Going further the state’s spokesperson disclosed that the President at the time, had promised to give D1M to anyone who would provide the information pertaining to the alleged shooter
