Two personnel of the Gambia Police Force (GPF) recently testified as prosecution withnesses before the Bundung Magistrate’s court.

One Jainaba Jallow, brought to trial for allegedly killing her child, appeard before senior magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara.  Testifying before the court, Nading Susso-Bob, a police officer attached at Bakoteh police station,  informed the court that she, together with another officer,  visited the said compound.  She revealed that upon their arrival, they  found the accused crying outside her house front door.

According to her, she then proceeded into the house were she found the child dead lying on the ground, adding that it was there she demanded an explanation about circumstances surrounding the death of the child.

She also told the court that she recongnised the accused person in the dock, as the sad event that occured on 18 December 2007 are still vivid.

According to prosecution withness (PW3) they received a tip-off in the earlier hours of the morning,  from a man who walked into the station to inform them that in their compound somebody said a child was dead and they were afraid to touch the corpse.

She went on to tell the court the response of the accused person was that she gave birth to the child who opened his eyes once and closed them adding that she did not touch the child.

She went on to inform the court that the sad event happens around midnight when she the (accused) was caught up in labour after her attempting to call for help from the neighbours fell on deaf ears.

She further told the court that the accused person informed her that she is a maid following the divorce with the husband at the time of the pregnancy,  but has already with him a boy and a girl.

It was at that juncture that she called for a photographer who snapped the crime scene.   While the corpse was taken to Sukuta health centre and the mother arrested .

Also testifying Lamin Nyassi, another police officer attached at Bakoteh police station,  indicated that on the  December 18, 2008  he saw (PW3) Nading Susso-Bob and the accused with the child wrapped in a nylon bag.

According to Nyassi, he was then made to be aware that the child is dead. That prompted him to escort the dead body to the RVTH mortuary. But days after, he noted,   they were told by the doctors that a post mortem is to be conducted so as to determine whether the victim had been killed. He then added that medical report was then issued out by the doctors and the corpse handed over to Jainaba’s relatives for burial.

At this juncture, police prosecutor, Inspector L Touray showed him the medical report, death certificate and postmortem form for confirmation  and identification and were then tendered in court and marked as exbihits. The case was then adjourned for continuation