Africa-Press – Seychelles. The cross examination of the forensic police officer from the Scientific Support and Criminal Record Bureau of the Police in relation to the murder trial of Frenchman Thomas Debatisse went on for the whole day yesterday at the Supreme Court and is expected to be completed this morning.
Before the cross examination of the witness started, the accused in the case, Thomas Debatisse, pleaded not guilty before Judge Melchior Vidot and the Court of strangling his girlfriend with a scarf after the judge had accepted the defence and prosecution lawyers request for an amendment to be made to the charge against him making it murder by strangulation using a scarf.
The cross examination of the witness, inspector Ralph Agathine, started after he presented evidence to the Court on Friday afternoon. The questioning, first by the prosecution lawyer Hermanth Kumar followed shortly after by defence lawyer Basil Hoareau, was in relation to a series of photographs he took at the scene of the murder incident in Room 2027 at the Club Med Hotel on Ste Anne on the evening of April 27 and early morning of April 28, on May 11 at the mortuary at Seychelles Hospital on the day of the autopsy of the deceased Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Badibanga as well as those taken on May 12 when he returned to the scene of the incident on Ste Anne in the company of other police officers as well as a doctor.
More than 200 photos were shown to the Court and jurors.
Mr Kumar’s questioning focused more on the red marks on one of the accused hands which the latter said were paint as he is a painter and he had been painting near the hotel’s pool that day.
Defence lawyer Hoareau argued that the marks were not mentioned by the witness in his statement and therefore he did not see the relevance of Mr Kumar’s questions. But the witness explained that it is a procedure to examine and take photos of all persons in such cases.
Mr Kumar also questioned Mr Agathine on his return to the hotel on May 12 as well as on several of the photos that were shown to the Court.
Again lawyer Hoareau objected to some of the questions and the answers given by the witness noting that the latter made no mention of them in his statement so there was no reason to raise them.
When it was his turn to cross examine the witness, Mr Hoareau focused his questions on the scarf, the bathrobe which were both found in different positions in the room in the different photos, the room itself where the body was found, the keycard that opens the room door which was in the form of a bracelet worn by both the deceased and the accused and a similar one was given to Mr Agathine by the village chief to open the door of Room 2027 when he arrived there on the evening of May 27.
He also questioned Mr Agathine about the accused’s behaviour and if he was acting like a person who had something to hide to which he answered that the accused was cooperative but he was not in a position to answer questions about the way he was acting.
With regard to a red mark on one of the accused finger, Mr Hoareau affirmed that it was not reddish and not a recent mark to which the witness did not want to comment but insisted it is the procedure for his department to take photos of such details.
Asked if at any point the witness had asked the doctor to examine the mark, he said no and the defence insisted that this was not done because the witness did not find it relevant but the witness insisted that the fact that he did not do it does not mean he did not find it relevant.
There were also questions about the door and how it is locked and unlocked as well as all the door activities and recording report. On this issue the witness pointed out that all these questions should be put to the investigation officers.
There were also questions on the injuries on the neck of the deceased and the witness confirmed that there were two marks on the left and right side of the victim’s neck and that they did not join.
He also confirmed that there was no mark on the front of the neck.
The witness also confirmed that there was nothing that looked like blood anywhere in the bedroom.
The cross examination of witness Agathine continues this morning.
For More News And Analysis About Seychelles Follow Africa-Press
