Kumba Sinyan Recounts Encounter with Police Investigators Following Ex-Fiancé’s Death

By Landing Ceesay 

Kumba Sinyan, the accused, shared with the court her experience with investigators from the Gambia Police Force after the death of her ex-fiancé, Momodou Lamarana Jallow.

In a previous court session, Kumba Sinyan confessed to killing Momodou Lamarana Jallow. She admitted to cutting him with a razor blade and stabbing him in the chest with a broken tile during a fight, claiming it was an act of self-defense.

Kumba also detailed how she left the scene, leaving Lamarana Jallow in a pool of blood, and went home.

Upon reaching home after the incident, Kumba Sinyan spoke with Pap and then heard a commotion outside. She observed people surrounding the house and saw police officers jumping into the compound. Some officers knocked on her grandmother’s window while others banged on the door.

“When I opened the door, I realized they were Police Officers. It was three of them and one of them was Foday Conta (PW1). For others, I don’t know their names. The one with Foday Conta told me that they were asking for Kumba, I told them it was me and he told me that they needed me. I asked them for what but they did not respond and just handcuffed me. I asked them what did I but they did not respond,” Kumba testified. 

When asked if receptionist Demba Bah was present at her house with the police, Kumba told the court that Demba was not there.

“I was handcuffed, my Aunty Sereh Cham came out and asked what happened but they (Police) told her that I was needed. My grandmother came out as well but my Aunt told them to wait so that they would call a lawyer but they did not allow her the chance to call a lawyer. They just told me that they are taking me to the Station,” she told the court.Kumba stated that the police did not inform her of her constitutional right to a lawyer after her arrest. She mentioned that she was subsequently taken from her compound to the Friendship Hostel, where the murder incident occurred.

“They (Police) took me out of the compound to the vehicle and then while I was in the vehicle Foday Conta, and his team asked if I knew Lama. Then they requested my phone and I asked them what but they told me that they needed it. Then I gave it to them but it was locked at the time so they asked me to unlock it which I did and they went through my call log and saw that I had communicated with Lama. 

“Then the other Police Officer who was with Conta, I don’t know his name started shouting at me. I know he was a police officer under Bakau. He shouted at me saying ‘Unlock the phone you are pretending like you don’t know what is happening’ But I kept quiet then Conta asked him to stop talking to me in that manner,” Kumba testified. 

Kumba further testified that the police did not inform her of her constitutional right to remain silent.

She also mentioned that it was only upon reaching the vehicle that she realized the police investigators had taken her to Friendship Hostel.

“I realized that while in the vehicle heading towards the GNPC Petrol Station around the stadium, by then it was raining. When we reached the Hostel, I asked Conta if you said you were taking me to the station but he told me to come and then he covered me because it was raining. When we went into the Hostel, we passed through the reception by then there were a lot of people and then we headed towards room 111. The team I was in the vehicle went with us to room 111,” she testified. 

Kumba reported that on her way to room 111, she encountered Ensa and Demba Bah at the reception along with several other Police Officers.

Upon reaching room 111 accompanied by the Police Officers, Kumba stated that Foday Conta opened the door and instructed her to enter.

Kumba mentioned that she did not receive any protection upon entering the room where Lamarana Jallow was killed.

“I entered the room without my consent. I did not want to enter there. When I entered, I saw Lama lying down. I also saw other Police Officers there as well including one that came to court to testify. He was the one who took my statement, he was in room (111) collecting evidence. 

“I saw some of them taking pictures of where Lama was lying down. Some Officers even took pictures of me. That was one of the Officers who were in the vehicle with me.  I saw the flash on then I turned and told him not to take pictures of me. Then Conta told him not to take pictures of me. So he then took a picture of where Lama was laying and sent it on WhatsApp,” Kumba narrated. 

Kumba recounted that upon seeing Lamarana Jallow lying down, Foday Conta inquired if she knew him. She affirmed they were in a relationship.

According to Kumba, she subsequently asked Foday Conta for permission to touch Lamarana Jallow, but he declined.

In her testimony, Kumba stated that she queried Foday Conta about Lamarana Jallow’s condition, but received no answer.

Kumba mentioned that false information began circulating on social media about the incident, based on her pictures.

“I started crying and shouting telling Conta to allow me to hold Lama but he refused. Then he took me out of the room and took me to reception by then I was in handcuffs. I saw them going in and out but I don’t know what they were doing. By then I was with my aunty Sereh Cham. After Conta came back and said they were taking me to the Station. Then on the way, we took the route to my house. When we got to my house, they (Police Officers) all went in and searched my room. 

“There were other officers different from the ones that arrested me. They searched my whole room and even my Aunty’s room. They opened my drawer and took my money. I cannot remember the amount but it was a lot because the money is from my business. They took a yellow outfit because the officer who took my picture said people were saying I was wearing a yellow singlet. So that was the only thing they took. The money that they took I have not seen it again nor has it been tendered into evidence,” Kumba testified. 

Kumba recounted being taken to the Bakau station, where she claimed she was coerced into providing a statement. According to her, Foday Conta and another man with dreadlocks repeatedly pressured her, insisting that she confess to the killing of Lamarana Jallow.

She emphasized that during this ordeal, she was neither cautioned nor formally charged. Kumba asserted that she declined to speak to the police further because she did not have legal representation present at the time.

Additionally, Kumba stated that despite her aunt’s plea for the police to wait until she could arrange for a lawyer, they declined to postpone the proceedings.

“I was detained till in the morning, that was on Wednesday 14th of September 2022. I was then taken again by Momodou Touray and one ASP Binta Njie from the Station put in Touray’s vehicle and taken to my house. That was the third time they were going to my house. They searched and the man opened the bag that I had taken to the Hostel and took out my ID. I had caps in my room so they also took one. Then I was taken back to the stadium.

“Out of my compound, they (Police) parked at a Fula shop and asked the shopkeeper if I got a packet of razor blades there but he told them he did not see me there. When we got to the hostel I was taken to room 111. I told them I could not go then ASP Binta Njie told them not to force me. By then Demba was at the door of room 111. Binta told them to take me to the reception. From there I was taken to the station and they asked if I had the contact number of Lama’s relatives I gave them the number of Sally, Lama’s Aunty. They (Police) called her in my presence and they told her that she was needed,” Kumba said. 

Kumba recounted that she was initially taken to Kotu Police Station, but due to overcrowding, she was returned to the Bakau CID Office. There, she underwent further questioning by Momodou Touray, but she chose to remain silent.

Later that day, Kumba was brought back to her house for the fourth time, preceded earlier in the morning by a visit to Kanifing Police Station. She was unsure why she was taken there but found herself confined in a cell without explanation.

After some time, Kumba’s cell door was opened, and she was escorted to an office where she encountered Demba, a receptionist at Friendship Hostel. Alone with Demba, he urged her to confess to the police to secure her release, implying consequences otherwise.
Feeling pressured, Kumba agreed, prompting Demba to contact Momodou Touray and another officer. They returned, asking if she was prepared to cooperate. Kumba then admitted to the altercation with Lama and defended herself as the cause of her injuries.
When asked if she had disclosed everything, Kumba affirmed, though her statement was not documented. Subsequently, she was returned to Bakau CID Office for further questioning, where she chose to remain silent once more.

“In the afternoon, I was taken to my house, where I was asked to show them the outfit I wore on the day of the incident. I opened my cupboard and gave them the outfit. By then Lama’s phone was with me so I also gave it to them. I was taken from the compound to Kairaba Station’s CID Office. They kept asking questions then I was taken to the cell and I was there until the next day 15th of September 2022. I was taken back from the cell to the CID Office for them to take my statement,” Kumba testified.

Kumba claimed she had never been cautioned before the police obtained her statement.

She stated that she spoke in Wolof, but her statement was written by Samba, a police officer.

During her testimony in court, Kumba expressed uncertainty about the language in which her statement was written.

“Was there an Independent witness?” Kumba Sinyan’s Lawyer Sagar asked her.

“No, after my statement was taken that was when someone came in and I was told that he was the independent witness,” Kumba told the court. 

Kumba said when the charge was read to her, she admitted it but informed the Police that it was self-defence. 

“After my statement was taken, I was taken back to the cell. Then Samba came back with a piece of paper and told me I needed to thumbprint it because I did not sign. But before I thumbprint, I asked what that was and he told me that it was my statement then that was when I thumbprint. I was then taken to the CID office, where I was with Demba and I asked him how was Lama and he told me that Lama died. I asked if I could see the body and he told me yes but since then he has not said anything else. 

“I spent 4 to 5 days in Kairaba Police Station. While I was in Kairaba, Lama’s co-worker Alieu Sanneh came to visit me and we spoke regarding Lama. By then Momodou Touray was there. He told me that he does not believe that I was the one who did it, he advised me that if Lama was still alive he would have advised us to let go of each other,” Kumba testified.

“You were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday and kept in custody till Monday when you were arraigned to court?” Counsel Sagar asked. 

“Yes I was taken to Kanifing Magistrates Court where I was charged with murder,” Kumba said. 

Counsel Sagar then presented her voluntary statement to Kumba and asked if it had been read to her. Kumba informed the court that it had not been read to her.

Furthermore, Kumba disputed the contents of the statement, asserting to the court that it did not accurately reflect what she had told the Police.

Kumba also confirmed that she had been given her cautionary statement and acknowledged that she had thumbprinted it. However, upon reviewing its contents in court, Kumba stated that it did not accurately represent what she had communicated to the Police.

She emphasized that the statement differed from her original account to the Police.

Counsel Sagar then made a formal application for the video contained in Defense Exhibit D7, Kumba Sinyan’s telephone where Lama was purportedly apologizing to her (accused person) to be tendered as evidence as well as the video to be extracted from the phone. 

Counsel Sagar said even the prosecution does not have a copy of the video, adding they want the video to be saved on a flash drive. 

Counsel Sagar argued that the content of the video needs to be transcribed as well. 

State Counsel Mamy Sanyang objected to the application highlighting that during the last adjourned date, the defence applied for the phone and its content to be tendered in court which was done. 

Counsel Sanyang said if the defence want to now extract the video, it would drag the case longer. Counsel Sanyang also argued that if the extraction is being done by the defence the prosecution would not be present and urged the court to dismiss the application. 

Hon. Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh in her ruling, refused the application by the defence. She stated that the phone and its content are already tendered in as primary evidence. 

Hon. Justice Jobarteh said the phone cannot be given back to the defence for the extraction of the video without the presence of the prosecution.

Hon. Justice Jobarteh also said if the video is extracted and tendered by the defence it will admitted as secondary evidence because the phone and its content including the video are tendered as primary evidence. 

Hon. Justice Jobarteh said whatever content the defence needs from the phone they can get it from the phone in an open court.

Hon. Justice Jobarteh said if the defence wants to rely on the video they can do it during the address and the video will be available to them.

When Kumba was asked the date of the video where Lamarana Jallow was purportedly apologizing to her, she told the court that the video was taken on the 7th of June 2021. 

Kumba was again asked to look for other pictures on her phone that she said would help in her case, she told the court that the pictures were in her WhatsApp and that was not working. 

 Hon. Justice Jobarteh provided her with internet access to update her WhatsApp, which she did. 

However, her SIM card is no longer working, and she could not get the verification code sent by WhatsApp. 

Counsel Sagar told the court that they would apply for Africell to restore her SIM card.

Hon. Justice Jobarteh then adjourned the case to the 30th of July 2024.