The State Succumbed to Humiliating Defeat in the Criminal Case against Yankuba Touray and Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay

Contrary to the assertion of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the criminal allegation against Yankuba Touray and Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay was not dropped. It collapsed, and spectacularly.

Before a packed courtroom presided over by Her Ladyship Honourable Mrs Justice A. S. Ceesay at the High Court in Banjul on 20 May 2019, the star witness Alhagie Kanyi crumbled under incisive cross examination by Abdoulie Sisohor and Lamin S. Camara. The self-confessed killer was consistently incoherent, contradicted himself throughout and spoke nonsense to the pleasure of the gallery. What just deserts for a marauding and lying coward!

It was a disgraceful spectacle to watch.

That the State would progress such a hopeless case from the Magistrates Court to the High Court was not edifying behaviour. The Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions was hopelessly outmanoeuvred and left drifting in the deep waters of ignorance about the architecture of his irresponsible case and the nature of the witness that he proudly and joyously paraded before a distinguished Court. He courted disgrace and got it wonderfully.

I consulted with some lawyers watching the proceedings and we were agreed the case didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. Mr Kanyi was a pathetic witness but those who took the decision to prosecute such a ridiculous case disgraced themselves utterly.

The claim that the State is hesitant to create a new class of victims is utter rubbish not supportable by the journey of this baseless matter thus far.

I reiterate that the case was doomed and would have collapsed had the State not abandoned it.

Lamin J. Darbo

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