By: Cecilia E.L. Mendy
The High Court in Banjul on Thursday heard eyewitness testimony as the prosecution called its third and fourth witnesses in the murder trial of Momodou Bah, who is accused of killing former University of The Gambia assistant lecturer Yunusa Mbaye.
The case is before Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh, with State Counsel A. Drammeh representing the prosecution and C. Mendy appearing for the accused.
The third prosecution witness (PW3), Abdoulie Ceesay, a mechanic from Bundung, told the court that he witnessed part of the incident while on his way to buy breakfast.
Ceesay said that as he approached a junction, he saw the deceased running ahead of the accused. He told the court that the victim appeared to have already sustained injuries before reaching the area.
He said he initially believed the two men were chasing each other before realising they had been involved in a confrontation. According to him, the deceased suddenly collapsed, after which the accused did not continue the attack but instead fled from the scene.
The witness said he rushed to assist the victim while members of the public gathered. He added that some people pursued the accused and later brought him back to the scene.
Ceesay described the victim’s injuries as severe, saying there was heavy bleeding from what appeared to be a deep wound. He told the court that a taxi later arrived and that he helped place the victim inside the vehicle.
He said he did not accompany the victim to the hospital because he was shocked by the seriousness of the injuries.
The witness further testified that after the accused was brought back, some members of the public assaulted him. Ceesay admitted that he also hit the accused but later appealed to the crowd to stop and allow the police to take custody of him.
During cross-examination, defence counsel questioned whether Ceesay had actually witnessed the stabbing. The witness admitted that he did not see the moment when the stabbing occurred.
Counsel suggested that since he did not witness the act itself, he could not determine who stabbed the deceased. Ceesay maintained that his conclusion was based on what he saw, stating that only the accused and the deceased were present at the junction before other people arrived.
He also confirmed that he did not know the weapon allegedly used and could not comment on the accused’s intention.
The fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Police Officer Ousman Jammeh of Kairaba Police Station, told the court that he received information on 15 June 2026 about a murder incident at Fajara, behind GTBank.
Jammeh said he and other officers went to the scene but found that the victim had already been taken to hospital.
He testified that witnesses informed him that the deceased had been sitting under a tree listening to music and marking examination scripts when the accused allegedly approached him and asked him to reduce the volume of a Bluetooth speaker.
According to the officer, witnesses said an argument followed and later escalated into a physical confrontation during which the accused allegedly stabbed the deceased.
Jammeh told the court that he observed bloodstains at the scene and later escorted witnesses to the police station to record statements.
Under cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that he did not witness the incident and that the accused had already been arrested before he arrived at the scene. He confirmed that the only thing he personally observed was bloodstains.
He further informed the court that Crime Scene Investigators arrived before his team and were responsible for processing the scene.
Justice Jobarteh adjourned the matter until 21 July 2026 for continuation of the hearing.
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