By Landing Ceesay
The Office of the Attorney General (State) has indicted Kumba Sinyan for the alleged murder of one Momodou Lamarana Jallow, a former staff of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry [GCCI]. Sinyan is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend Momodou Lamarana Jallow at a local hostel in Bakau on September 14th, 2022.
Kumba Sinyan, a 25-year-old businesswoman, was initially arraigned before Principal Magistrate, Omar Jabang of the Kanifing Magistrates on the 19th of September 2022, for the alleged killing. Magistrate Jabang remanded the suspect to Mile 2 prisons and transferred the case to the Special Criminal Division of the High Court, ruling that the Magistrate’s Court lacks jurisdiction to try murder cases.
The case has since been assigned to Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh of the High Court of the Gambia. On November 1, 2022, Justice Jobarteh ordered the state [Prosecution] to file formal accusation [an indictment] against the accused on or before November 16th, 2022.
During today’s hearing, the state filed a bill of indictment against Kumba Sinyan for the alleged killing of her ex-boyfriend, contrary to section 187 of Criminal Code Cap: 10:01 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009. In her response, the accused, Kumba Sinyan, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
The Particulars of Offence stated that Kumba Sinyan on or about the 14th of September 2022 at Friendship Hostel in Bakau, Kanifing Municipality of the Republic of the Gambia within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Gambia 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: 10:01 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
Cadet Assistant Superintendent Binta Njie Jatta, Spokesperson of the Gambia Police Force, in a previous interview relating to this matter, told this medium that police investigation into the case revealed that the suspect and the alleged victim were in a relationship and that some domestic issues occurred in their relationship, leading to the suspected murder of the victim.