By Landing Ceesay
The murder trial of Kumba Sinyan resumed before Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh at the High Court in Banjul, with the Counsel for defence, Sagarr Twum cross-examining the third Prosecution Witness (PW3), Ensa Touray.
Mr. Touray is a resident of Bakau Sanchaba and a member of staff at Friendship Hostel.
Kumba Sinyan is charged with murder contrary to section 187 of Criminal Code Cap: 10:01 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
Prosecutors alleged that the suspect on or about the 14th of September 2022 at The Friendship Hostel in Bakau, with malice aforethought, caused the death of one Lamarana Jallow by cutting his stomach with an object and thereby committed an offence punishable with death under section 188 of the Criminal Code Cap of the Laws of the Gambia 2009.During cross-examination, PW3 told the court that as receptionists, their job is to welcome clients when they arrive at the hotel looking for rooms and check them into the available rooms. Also, as part of their duties, they provide explanations to clients that may need help with the features of their rooms. They check out customers upon the completion of their stay and collect the room keys from them.
“Are you obliged, when visitors come in, you enter their names in the records?” Counsel Twum asked.
“There are two ways of admitting people in the hotel: if the person is staying for long, their names would be recorded on the record book; if they come for a short period, their names would not be recorded,” the witness responded.
“On this day, did you record Lamarana?” Counsel Twum asked.
“No, I did not record Lamarana (deceased) because he came there for a short term that’s why we did not record him,” the witness responded.Counsel Twum asked the witness how he knew that Kumba Sinyan (the accused) and Lamarana (the deceased) were in a relationship.
The witness responded that the accused and the victim have been frequent guests of the hostel where they booked rooms, stay there for a while and leave.
“It is my understanding that if you come there (the hostel) and take a room, then you are in a relationship. I don’t know the accused and the deceased very well, but I know them,” the witness told the court.
PW3 said he went to call the police together with one Demba Bah and Basiru Janneh.”When I came to the hostel, the police were not there, we were the ones who went to call the Police,” he said.