The judge overseeing the murder trial of Yankuba Touray, a former minister of Lands, had a heated exchange with the defence lawyer at the High Court on Wednesday. 

Justice Ebrima Jaiteh was incensed by the constant objections of the defence lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho during an oral submission by the Director of Public Prosecutions A.M Yusuf.

“Look, just keep quiet. I said listen. I don’t want to loose my temper. I don’t need to argue with you. I don’t want to push and pull with you,” Justice Ebrima Jaiteh said. 

The judge told the defence lawyer A Sissoho to shut up or leave his courtroom. The heated exchange occurred over the submission of a coroner’s inquest report. 

“You’ve to listen … here I set the modus operandi. Counsel I don’t want to hear from you. 

“Just sit down.”  

Justice Jaiteh said the defence lawyer should adhere to the rules of the court. 

He said when the DPP was making submission he did not have any problems with it, adding “why should that be different with the defence counsel?

“My job is to do what is right and just. This murder case occurred and we do not know anything about it, and now we are all at the court to find out the truth. 

“My job here is to listen to both of you. Both of you counsels have to present the facts to this court”

Yankuba Touray is being tried for the alleged murder of Ousman Koro Ceesay, a finance minister for the defunct AFPRC junta, whose mysterious death in 1995 was alleged to have been a murder carried out by Touray and other junta officials. Touray has denied any involvement in the death of Koro Ceesay.