“This is a shame for The Gambia”: Lawyer Says Sukuta–Jabang Shooting Case Was Politicised, Claims Real Killers Identified

Written by: Seringe ST Touray

Senior Counsel Lamin J. Darboe, lead defence lawyer for Ousainou Bojang and his sister, has criticised the handling of the Sukuta–Jabang police shooting case following their acquittal, describing the matter as politicised and misdirected from the start.

Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom on Monday, Darboe stated that “the matter was politicised, and the wrong people were brought before the courts.”

He added that the trial itself laid bare what happened and who was responsible. “Through our evidence, through the trial, we know what happened. We know the persons who are responsible for the murder of service personnel of the Republic of The Gambia.”

Despite this, he pointed to a lack of accountability. “Nothing happened to them,” he added.

Instead, innocent individuals were pursued through the system. “Innocent people were followed, were arrested, were prosecuted, and eventually dragged to court, with the hope that the courts would close their eyes and convict and imprison innocent people.”

Darboe also criticised what he described as a failure to properly investigate the case, stating that “the government refused to conduct a credible investigation” despite the gravity of the incident, which left two citizens dead and a third seriously injured.

He went further, saying the government “should be ashamed of itself” and called for a thorough investigation, ending with a blunt conclusion: “This is a shame for The Gambia.”