Three Police Officers Testify

Superintendent of Police Burama Dibba, the state prosecutor representing the IGP in the ongoing case against Tabara Samba, the lady standing trial for allegedly murdering her husband, informed the Court yesterday that according to the charge sheet, Tabara is suspected of pouring hot oil on one Ebrima Nyan, who is said to be her late husband.

In trying to prove the case against the accused, the prosecution brought three witnesses to testify in the case.

Prosecution Witness 1, Detective Inspector Mary Sowe of Kanifing Police Station, testified that she reported for duty at the Kanifing Police one day in the month of March 2007 and found the suspect at the station. She was informed that she had poured boiling oil on her husband while he was asleep.
       
She further stated that she and 1st Class 1682 Saidykhan, together with the deceased’s brother, Lamin Conteh, mounted a search at the scene of the incident. The house, she said, is a self-contained. She added that in the house they found a wet mattress and when they lifted it up, they saw that some oil had already collected on the cardboard and stained the frame of the bed.
She added that they proceeded to the kitchen where they "found a frying pan containing boiled oil, and a gas bottle." She said that the CRO of Bundung police was called to take photographs of the items of evidence.

PW1 further adduced that when she asked the accused why she did the act, the accused replied that her husband came home late that day and was shouting her name, telling her to open the door. She revealed that the accused then denied the allegation of her being responsible, saying her husband suffered the assault while she was away from the house.

At the end of PW1’s testimony, the frying pan and the gas bottle were tendered in court and admitted as exhibits.

PW2, Boto Keita, and PW3, Lamin Cham, both police officers attached to the Major Crimes unit, Banjul, corroborated each other’s evidence. Both Mr. Keita and Mr. Cham said in turns that on 20th March 2007 the accused was brought to their office from Kanifing Police in connection with a murder charge and an interview was conducted. During the interview the accused said that on 7th March 2007 she quarreled with her late husband before one Mr. Sallah, a friend to the deceased, paid them a visit.
The witnesses further related that the accused told them that the late Mr. Nyan claimed to be hungry and instructed her to prepare food for them, which she did. Upon eating the meal she thus prepared, the PWs continued to recount the accused person’s comments; the late Mr. Nyan saw Mr. Sallah off on the latter’s departure.

When he returned, the two witnesses went on about their interview with the accused, he found her sitting under the veranda where they chatted for a while before the deceased left her and went to bed, having failed to get her to join him.

PW3 further said that the accused admitted then that she did go into the kitchen and boiled oil before going over to see if her husband was sleeping and, having found him asleep, poured the boiling oil on him from the head to the legs, causing him to jerk up and rush to the bathroom to drench himself with cold water. PW3 added that the couple, according to the accused, subsequently went to Lamtoro Clinic.
Mr. Cham said that after the interview, he recorded a statement from her in the presence of an independent witness called Alhasana Camara.

Mr. Cham finally said he took a cautionary statement from the accused in Wollof. He said the statement was read to the accused in Wollof and she said she understood it.

The case was at that point adjourned to the 2nd May, 2007 for cross examination of PW3.