Barrister Dr. Lamin J. Darbo, Lawyer for the accused in the recent shooting incident involving PIU officers on duty at the Sukuta-Jabang traffic lights has urged the government of The Gambia to put his client before a competent Court without further delay.
The call came from the top Lawyer after succeeding to meet with his Client, having initially being unlawfully denied access to the murder suspect.
Below we reproduce verbatim, Barrister Darbo's call for a speedy trial for the justice of the case:
Good evening advocates of justice for the murdered police officers and their injured colleague at Sukuta traffic lights, as well for the accused Ousainou Bojang (my Client) under police custody.
The justice of the case is inseparable, not mutually exclusive as ultimately the State is the minister of justice in all cases criminal. Its interest is to see justice done and on that overriding principle it has no interest other than a fair ventilation of the facts at trial.
After the denial of access last week, I am pleased to announce I saw my Client and had a private discussion with him for some 45 minutes this afternoon after securing cooperation with the Government panel constituted to investigate the case. This development was quite an improvement on last Thursday when access was unlawfully denied.
He informed me the police avail him food and water, but complained about mosquitoes feasting on him at night when understanding from duty staff can be at its lowest ebb.
Although I am pleased to access my Client, the Constitutional architecture around him is not fully complied with by the police, and ultimately the State. His continued detention and questioning must stop, and the State must file an “information which shall be in the form of an indictment and shall state in writing the charge against the accused” (see section 175B (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code. My Client’s continued detention beyond 72 hours without filing an “information” against himruns counter to the Constitutional timelines on lawful detention.
In addition, holding him at a police station when a Court ordered his detention at Mile 2 Central Prisons is also unlawful.
I urge the State to put my Client before a competent Court without further delay.
The justice of the case demands that!
Lamin J. Darbo