The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Sidiq Asemota
23 June 2011
The murder trial involving two ex-officials of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), Ebou Lowe and Eku PL Grant opened yesterday, Wednesday, before the Special Criminal Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Joseph Enwa Ikpala.
The two accused persons were alleged to have unlawfully caused the death of one Cherno Alieu Suwareh by hitting him on the head and knocking his head against the wall on the 25th of March, 2011 in Bakau in the Kanifing Municipality, knowing that death would be the probable consequence of such act. The prosecution led by state counsel, Simon Semalemba, called the first prosecution witness, Mahtar Conteh, a drug enforcement officer, to open the case for the prosecution.
The witness, Mahtar Conteh in his evidence told the court that he knows the two accused persons, that they were colleagues. The witness further told the court that on the 25th of March, 2011, he was part of the team that went on a raid with the two accused persons to the residence of the deceased in Bakau. The witness adduced that whilst at the deceased person’s residence and upon conducting search, they found the deceased with some suspected Cannabis sativa.
The witness revealed that upon discovering the said substance, the 1st accused, Ebou Lowe, held the deceased on his dreadlocks and hit his head against a wall resulting to the deceased sustaining some bruises on his forehead. The witness further revealed that the team also recovered other suspected Cannabis bundles at the deceased person’s compound. Mahtar Conteh adduced that shortly after the raid, the deceased was taken away but he complained that he was ill and was subsequently taken to the hospital where he was under police guard.
The witness disclosed that the deceased passed away few days later whilst at the hospital. Meanwhile, the defence counsel, LS Camara and Badou Conteh opted to cross-examine the witness on the next adjourned date, 4th of July 2011.
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Continued here:
Gambia: Ex-NDEA Officials’ Murder Trial Opens