Ousainou Bojang and his sister Amie Bojang at the high court
By Landing Ceesay
Ousainou Bojang, continuing his defense before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of The Gambia’s High Court, disclosed that a friend informed him about the circulation of his nude videos on social media.
Bojang is facing six charges, including the murder of PIU officers, while his sister, Amie Bojang, is also on trial as an accessory after the fact.
As part of his defense, Bojang detailed a dispute with his girlfriend, Claudette, which he claims was related to financial issues.
In his previous testimony, Bojang explained that his friend, Famara Sarjo, had filed a complaint against him at the Brusubi Police Station, leading Officer Seedy Sonko to summon him for questioning.
On Monday, Bojang continued his testimony, providing additional details about his encounter at the Brusubi Police Station. He recounted that as he was preparing to leave the station, he noticed his girlfriend’s name displayed on Famara Sarjo’s phone under the list of recent calls.
“I called Seedy Sonko and informed him that before I left his office, the call that entered Famara’s Phone was from my woman, and I recognized the number.
Then, Seedy Sonko said he understood and advised me that I was a young guy. Seedy Sonko told me to visit a marabout because Claudette was not acting on her will. Seedy Sonko said, maybe my friends might take her to the Marabout. I responded to him that I heard him and that I would adhere to his advice because I needed his guidance,” Ousainou told the court.
Ousainou Bojang testified in court that the following day, he visited Famara Sarjo and found him sitting with Fatoumatta, his cousin’s sister. Ousainou stated that he then called Seedy Sonko to inform him that Famara was still monitoring him by gathering information from his family members, urging Seedy to advise Famara to stop.
According to Ousainou, Seedy Sonko assured him that he would speak to Famara Sarjo, but also encouraged Ousainou to stand up for himself.
Ousainou further testified that a few days later, he did not hear from his partner, Claudette Francis, until September 3, 2023, when she called to inquire whether he had made the payment for her maintenance. Ousainou explained that he had not made the payment yet, as he was waiting to receive rent from his tenants.
“She (Claudette) asked when the tenants would make the payment, and I replied to her that I had spoken to the tenant, and they promised to pay on Monday, 4th September 2023. The tenants paid the money on the 4th of September 2023, and I called to inform her about it. She instructed me to follow the old procedure by deducting the maintenance fee of 6,450 and saving the rest of the money in her account. On the 6th of September 2023, I went to boss Sharan Brown, who is the treasurer of the lodge, and handed over the money to her. She didn’t give me a receipt, and she asked me to collect it on Saturday,” Ousainou asserted.
Ousainou testified in court that on that Saturday morning, as he reported for work, Claudette contacted him via WhatsApp to inform him that she had not yet received her receipt for the maintenance fee payment.
He explained to Claudette that he was waiting to receive the receipt from Sharan Brown and assured her that once it was in his possession, he would take a photo and send it to her via WhatsApp.
“The following day, Claudette called me on a Sunday and told me that she had seen the receipt, but the surname Sharon wrote on the receipt was not the surname she was using at that moment. She told me that her surname is Claudette Francis, which should be put on the receipt. Sharon knows her as Claudette Francis Montitude. She asked me to tell Sharon to remove Montitude from the receipt and put only Claudette Francis. I explained to her that Sharon knows her as Claudette Francis Montitude, and I cannot interfere between her and Sharon. I told her to text Sharon and send her the receipt and tell her to remove Montitude from it, and write only Francis,” Ousainou testified.
Ousainou Bojang testified that on the following Monday morning, Claudette called him and informed him that she had granted him power of attorney, instructing him to follow any directives she gave.
He explained to Claudette that he found her and Sharon in their current situation and preferred not to interfere in their affairs. However, Claudette emphasized that when someone grants a power of attorney, the recipient must act according to their instructions.
Ousainou further told the court that Claudette mentioned he might not understand what was happening, but others were aware of his situation. When he asked her to clarify, she declined to explain, abruptly ending the call. He said he attempted to reach her again, but Claudette did not answer his calls. Ousainou eventually ceased trying to contact her as he was preparing to leave.
“I went to Tanji market to take care of my own business there. After that, I had a friend who was my schoolmate by the name of Ousman Colley; I called and asked him whether he was at his home. He said yes, he was home and I told him that I was in his town, and I was not too far from his house as I was at the market. I explained to him that I was finishing up my business at the market, and after that, I would come to his house. When I left the market, I boarded a vehicle and headed to the main town of Tanji. I arrived at Ousman Colley’s house, and we sat on his Veranda.
“He (Ousman Colley) told me that he saw my video on social media. I asked him what sort of video it was, and he told me that it was a naked video with a woman, but the woman’s face was hidden, her body half-shown, and it was my face that was shown in the video. I asked him whether I could see the video, and he explained that he didn’t have one on his phone, but that he had seen it on his cousin’s brother’s phone. I asked him for the second time whether he trusted that it was my face he saw on that video. He said yes, he saw my face,” Ousainou told the court.
Ousainou told the court that he had asked Ousman Colley where he had seen the video on social media, to which Ousman replied that he didn’t know. Ousainou added that after their conversation, he stayed seated with Ousman Colley, but felt a sense of shame as they sat together.
“I explained to Ousman Colley that I cannot continue sitting and that I must go home because I was feeling ashamed,” Ousainou testified.
Ousainou said he then called his boss in the United Kingdom, Kathleen Smith, and explained the matter to her.
“When I left Ousman Colley’s house, I placed a call to my boss, Kathleen, on WhatsApp whilst she was in the UK. I explained to her that a close friend of mine told me about a naked video of myself on social media. I believe only Claudette is capable of doing this because, for a long time, she has been threatening to expose me. On the last day we communicated, she informed me that I was not aware of what was going on, but everyone else was aware of what was going on. “Kathleen asked me whether I informed Sharon about the naked video I was explaining about. Kathleen asked me to go and speak with Sharon and informed her of what I was telling her. I told her that I was just aware of this video that and that I will inform her about it. Kathleen told me to inform Sharon about the naked video and that Sharon would advise me on what to do. I then informed Sharon about the naked video, and she advised me to calm down. When she returns in the afternoon, she will discuss further with me,” Ousainou testified.
“Was Ousman Colley the only person who told you about the naked video?” Counsel Lamin J. Darboe asked.
“On the 11th of September 2023 Ousman Colley was the first person to inform me about the naked video,” Ousainou said.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh then adjourned the case to the 2nd of December 2024 for the continuation of Ousainou’s defense.