By: Sainabou Sambou
In a tense courtroom at the High Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Omar Cham, the trial of three men—Abdoulie Jallow, Losseni Diabate (alias Alfusainey Jobarteh), and Ansumana Jarju—unfolded on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The trio stands accused of a brazen armed robbery at the United Vegetable Oil Company near Denton Bridge, charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery with violence, and disabling in order to commit a felony. The prosecution alleges that on New Year’s Eve 2024, the men, armed with cutlasses and knives, stole GMD400,000 and left a security guard, Sadivi Haya, bound and suffocated.
The courtroom buzzed with anticipation as Principal State Counsel Muhammed Mballow called Lamin Saidykhan, a police officer, to the stand. Saidykhan, composed yet cautious, recounted the night of the robbery. He testified that he and a team of officers—more than four, though he couldn’t recall the exact number or names, save for himself and Omar Sanyang—rushed to the crime scene. The air was thick with tension as Defence Counsel Ebrima Sanneh, representing Jarju and holding a brief for Jallow, pressed the witness. “Were any of the accused at the scene when you arrived?” Sanneh asked sharply.
“No, they weren’t there because they were all hiding,” said Saidykhan, his voice steady. He explained that none of the accused had come forward voluntarily, but had only given statements after their arrests. Sanneh seized on this, probing the voluntariness of the statements. He suggested that Diabate, the second accused, was coerced into confessing after his wife’s arrest. Saidykhan countered, revealing a twist: Diabate himself had implicated his wife, claiming she possessed stolen money from another location.
The exchange sparked a heated objection from Mballow, who argued that Sanneh’s line of questioning risked unfairness. “Let the witness answer fully,” Mballow urged, emphasizing the need for balance in the pursuit of justice. Justice Cham, maintaining order, allowed the testimony to proceed. Saidykhan stood firm, reiterating that the investigation pointed to the trio’s guilt. “I leave it to the court to decide what’s true,” he said, his words hanging heavily. “But I believe the evidence shows these three are responsible for the robbery on January 1, 2025.”
The prosecution painted a vivid picture of the crime: a calculated heist under the cover of darkness, with the accused wielding deadly weapons to overpower Haya, the lone guard. The charge sheet detailed how they allegedly tied him up, suffocating him to prevent resistance, before fleeing with the cash. The defense, however, sought to cast doubt, questioning the circumstances of the arrests and the reliability of the statements.
As the session drew to a close, the courtroom remained charged with unresolved questions. Were the accused truly the masterminds behind the violent robbery, or were there gaps in the prosecution’s case? Sanneh’s pointed questions hinted at a strategy to challenge the evidence, while Mballow’s objections underscored the State’s determination to secure a conviction.
The trial, a gripping saga of crime and consequence, is set to continue on July 14 at 1 PM.
As Justice Cham adjourned the session, all eyes turned to the next hearing, where the truth behind the Denton Bridge robbery will face further scrutiny. For now, the fate of Jallow, Diabate, and Jarju hangs in the balance, as the court weighs the testimony of a lone officer against the specter of a violent night that shook Banjul.
The post Three Men Face Justice in Violent Denton Bridge Robbery Trial appeared first on The Alkamba Times.
