By Landing Ceesay
Professor Gabriel Ogun, a forensic specialist who performed the autopsies on officers Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez, stated that the individual responsible for their deaths at the Sukuta Jabang Traffic Lights must have been skilled in handling firearms.
The two officers, Jallow and Gomez, were purportedly slain by Ousainou Bojang on September 12, 2023. Bojang is now facing murder charges for the deaths of these two Police Intervention Unit officers.
Professor Gabriel, the head of pathology and laboratory medicine at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), testified as the Seventh Prosecution Witness (PW7), following Police Detective Ebou Sowe (PW6).
During cross-examination, Professor Gabriel clarified that shooting someone from close range doesn’t necessitate expertise but does require familiarity with firearms.
“It is correct that the person who killed Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez, Is someone who is very competent with firearms,” Counsel Lamin J. Darboe the Lawyer representing Ousainou Bojang asked Professor Gabriel.
“In close range, you don’t have to be competent. If it is long-range, you have to be competent. But you have to know how to use a gun at close range,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
On the death of the two Police Officers, Professor Gabriel, told the court that based on the information presented to him by the Police, both Sang J. Gomez and Pateh M. Jallow died at 21:00 hours.
“Was it not you who signed the medical certificate of death?” Counsel LJ Darboe asked Professor Gabriel.
“Yes, I signed medical certificates of death but I need to see the one you are referring to know whether those are the ones I signed or not,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
When asked if he could identify the medical certificates he had signed, Professor Gabriel confirmed to the court that he could, noting that the certificates would feature his signature and name.
Counsel LJ Darboe then presented the death certificates to Professor Gabriel for him to identify.
Professor Gabriel examined the documents and verified them as copies of the death certificates he had executed.
“I am applying to tender the medical certificates of death of Sang J. Gomez and Pateh M. Jallow dated on the 14th of September 2023,” Counsel LJ Darboe applied.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) A.M. Yusuf raised no objections to admitting the medical certificates of death for Sang J. Gomez and Pateh M. Jallow as evidence.
Subsequently, Hon. Justice Ebrima Jaiteh admitted copies of the medical certificates of death for Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez into evidence.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh designated the medical certificates of death for Pateh M. Jallow as defence exhibit D6, and those for Sang J. Gomez as Defence exhibit D7.
Following this, Counsel LJ Darboe directed a question to Professor Gabriel, asking him to specify the number of bullet entry wounds in Pateh M. Jallow’s body.
Professor Gabriel informed the court that the autopsy revealed at least one bullet entry wound in Pateh M. Jallow’s body.
“You have an entry wound and an exit wound. This depends on the type of gun. When you have short guns that use bullets then you have single entry wound and exit wound,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
“Have you discovered any bullet inside the body of Pateh M. Jallow?” Counsel LJ Darboe asked.
“No, there was no bullet inside his body. But there was an entry wound and an exit wound. What it means is that the bullet came out,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
On Sang J. Gomez, Professor Gabriel told the court that there was an entry wound and exit wound on his body.
Like Pateh M. Jallow, Professor Gabriel said he found no bullet in Sang J. Gomez’s body.
“Based on your professional qualification and practical experience in pathology do you know the type of gun that was used?” Counsel LJ Darboe asked.
“Of course yes, likely it was the gun that uses bullet and not Carthage,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
Counsel LJ Darboe further asked Professor Gabriel to read to his external examination report on the medical certificates of death of Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez.
Shortly after reading the external examinations, Counsel LJ Darboe question the similarities between the two reports.
“Would you not say that the similarities in your reports for two different people (Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez) is extraordinary?
“No, There are no similarities, and the only similarities are the entry dimension, which talks about the caliber of the bullet. If you look closely, the entries of the bullets are different. In the report, I talk about different locations,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
“Is it also your clinical report that Sang J. Gomez was shot when he pursued the assailant,” Counsel LJ Darboe asked.
“This is a summary from the Police, not mine,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
“Why would you include a summary of the police in the autopsy,” Counsel LJ Darboe asked.
“That’s the standard practice,” Professor Gabriel stated.
“It is correct that the person who killed Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez, Is someone who is very competent with firearms,” Counsel Lamin J. Darboe the Lawyer representing Ousainou Bojang asked Professor Gabriel.
“In close range, you don’t have to be competent. If it is long-range, you have to be competent. But you have to know how to use a gun at close range,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
Professor Gabriel also told the court that Sang J. Gomez’s death was due to bleeding in his chest cavity. While Pateh M. Jallow was due to bleeding in his abdomen cavity.
Counsel Lamin K. Mbodge, the lawyer representing Amie Bojang (2nd accused) also quizzed Professor Gabriel on the chances of survival for Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez if they were taken to the nearest hospital.
“In both cases, if Pateh M. Jallow and Sang J. Gomez were taken to a nearest hospital, wouldn’t that saved their lives?” Counsel LJ Mbodge asked.
“Not likely, they could not have been saved in the concept of the Gambia. The reason is most likely you will need Cardiothoracic surgery to improve their chances of survival. But we don’t have that in the Gambia. I am not saying it will save them but I am saying that it will improve their chances of survival,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
Professor Gabriel confirmed that both Officers were pronounced dead at Ndemban Clinic at Bakau in Kanifing Municipality (KM).
“Even with the ambulance, how long will it take from Sukuta Traffic Lights to Ndemban Clinic,” Counsel LK Mbodge told Professor Gabriel.
“I don’t know, but what is most important is the duration for when you are shot and when you get to the health facility. That’s the most critical part,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
“You will agree with me that Africmed and Sukuta clinics are closer to the traffic lights, where the incident happened than Ndemban Clinic in Bakau,” Counsel LK asked Professor Gabriel.
“I agree perfectly; they are closer to the crime scene. But what capacity do they have to treat Cardiothoracic surgery?” Professor Gabriel told the court.
Professor Gabriel told the court that he didn’t know whether the two Police Officers died on the spot or at the hospital.
“So it is therefore correct to say that you did not know whether if these two victims were taken to Africmed, these would have saved them?” Counsel LJ Mbodge asked.
“I don’t know,” Professor Gabriel told the court.
The case adjourned to Tuesday for continuation.