By Dawda M. Jallow
Lamin Ceesay has admitted before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court that he threatened to kill police officer Sultan Gibriel Colley, but disputed the prosecution’s claim that he used a wooden stick to make the threat.
Ceesay made the admission on Monday when he appeared before Magistrate Binta Sowe and was charged with threatening violence, contrary to Section 77(a) of the Criminal Offences Act 2025.
Cadet ASP S. Dampha and Cadet Inspector L. Mendy announced their appearance for the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The charge alleged that on 28 July 2026, at Kanifing in the Kanifing Municipality, Ceesay wilfully and unlawfully threatened to kill Colley with a wooden stick, with the intention of intimidating or annoying him.
When the charge was read to him in a local language of his choice, Ceesay admitted making the threat but said he did not intend to carry it out.
“Yes, I threatened to kill him, but it was a mistake. I don’t mean to do it,” he told the court.
Presenting the facts, the prosecution said the incident occurred between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Kanifing Industrial Area.
The prosecution told the court that Ceesay was at his workplace when he decided to go to his friend, Sainey, to collect a truck tyre.
On his way, he encountered Colley, a police officer, and the two allegedly became involved in a misunderstanding.
According to the prosecution, Ceesay insulted the complainant’s mother before allegedly picking up a wooden stick and threatening to kill Colley.
People at the scene reportedly intervened and separated the two men.
The prosecution said Colley subsequently went to a police station and returned with two police officers, who arrested Ceesay.
The court further heard that police recovered a wooden stick from Ceesay’s possession and took him to the police station, where witness statements were obtained.
The prosecution also said cautionary and voluntary statements were obtained from Ceesay.
The prosecution applied to tender the wooden stick and the two statements as evidence.
Ceesay, however, objected to the admission of the wooden stick, insisting that he did not use it to threaten the complainant.
“I’m objecting regarding the wooden stick brought to court that shows I threatened to kill the complainant, because I didn’t raise the stick and threaten him. It was only merely verbal words I used to threaten him,” he told the court.
Ceesay further argued that the wooden stick was only found in his possession after police officers arrived to arrest him.
Following his objection to the tendering of the wooden stick, Magistrate Sowe entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
The prosecution subsequently applied for an adjournment to enable it to secure its first witness for the next hearing.
Magistrate Sowe granted Ceesay bail in the sum of D25,000 with one Gambian surety.
The surety is required to deposit a valid National Identification Card bearing a registered SIM registration number and swear to an affidavit of means.
The surety must also guarantee Ceesay’s attendance at court and will be held responsible should he abscond or breach the bail conditions.
The case was adjourned to 1 September 2026 for the prosecution’s first witness to testify.