Senior Magistrate Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court handed down the sentence following the accused person’s plea of guilty.

Prosecutor Corporal 358 Sarr supplied the court with the facts of the matter before the accused was convicted.

In his judgement, Magistrate Mbackeh told the court that no one in the country could claim to be unaware of the stipulated price of steak of meat.

He stated that it was unfair for a few people to go on exploiting the masses. He further indicated that such actions are not in the public interest and must not be allowed.

It could be recalled that Magistrate Mbackeh had earlier convicted one Abdoulie Njorr, also a Senegalese butcher, on 30thSeptember 2008 for the same offence.

Prosecutor Corporal 358 Sarr was also the prosecutor in that case.

When the charge sheet was read to the accused, Joseph Sambou, he pleaded guilty but his colleague, Sainey Jarjue, who was also charged together with the first accused, told the court that he was not guilty because he was only the Chief Executive Officer and not the proprietor.

As a result, Prosecutor Sub-Inspector Fadera applied under section 68(1) to withdraw the charge against Sainey Jarjue.

Magistrate Wadda-Ceesay granted the application and discharged Sainey Jarjue. She ordered Joseph Sambou to settle the arrears due to the state.

The five accused men in the Right Choice theft case, were this week, convicted and sentenced to a fine of D5,000,in default to serve a four-month jail term by the Kanifing Magistrates Court presided over by Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbake.

They had pleaded guilty to charges of stealing and receiving stolen property. Three of the five are staffers of the said supermarket.

One Buba Saidy of Lamin village who was sentenced 6 months for cattle stealing before, has again committed the said offence, and he was again convicted and sentenced by Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court of stealing contrary to 252 of the criminal code cap 10 Vol III Laws of The Gambia.

According to PWI, Ali Mbaye, it happened on 12th September 2008 while she was fasting, her mother told her that she has not seen her goat. She told her mother that the goat was in their garden. She went with her mother to the garden but the only thing they could find was goat meat. Later she went to the accused’s house and found the accused with some of the meat and blood all over his clothes. He said upon their arrival at the accused’s house they even found him washing his hands. There he hit him and one ASP Badjie together with Saine Darboe took the accused from him and later he took the accused to Yundum police station.

Before his conviction the accused begged the court to temper mercy on him by saying his two parents were not alive. He was convicted and sentenced to 2 years with hard labour.

It could be recalled that accused Baba Saidy early this year at Lamin village is said to have stolen a she-goat valued D1,500 (one thousand five hundred Dalasis) being the property of one Ali Mbaye.

Following a plea bargain made by defence counsel Tambedou with the prosecution, Sulayman Ndure, Ousman Dibba, Babucarr Ceesay, Ousman Ndure and Muhamed Ceesay pleaded guilty to the offence of stealing items of goods at the Right Choice Supermarket. Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh, of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, convicted the accused persons and sentenced them to a fine of D5, 000 each in default to serve four months imprisonment.

In their plea of mitigation, the accused persons craved the court’s indulgence to temper justice with mercy.

In his judgement, Magistrate Mbackeh told the court that the actions of the accused were not commensurate with the trust bestowed on them by their employer. He further stated that since the accused had all shown some remorse over the whole affair, had prompted the court to exercise some degree of leniency towards them. He said the accused were brave enough to admit guilt.

The prosecuting officer was Sub- Inspector Fadera.

In her judgement, Magistrate Sainabou Wadda-Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates’Court said the accused persons had been convicted of the offence of stealing. She stated that the offence was grave and serious. She further indicated that the first accused Khalifa Jallow, was an employee of Comfort Natural Mineral Water Company whose owner had trust and confidence in him.

She also said that Sarjo Bah was an employee of a security firm, which trusted him but had betrayed the trust. She went on to say that the accused persons should be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

Police Prosecutor 870 Touray represented the IGP.

One Momodou Baldeh residing in Basse was recently arraigned at the Basse Magistrates’ Court before the travelling Magistrate Amodou Baldeh on a charge of stealing.

According to the charge sheet on 16th October 2008, at Sabi, Upper River Region, the convict was said to have stolen from the home of one Momodou Juma Jallow the sums of 7000 dalasis and 9000 CFA.

When the charge sheet was read to him in the language he claimed to understand he pleaded guilty.

Following his plea of guilty to a charge of stealing from a tailoring shop one Samba Jamanka was recently convicted and sentenced to a fine of D5000, in default to serve three months’ imprisonment.

Magistrate Kayode of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court gave the sentence.

According to the facts of the case as narrated by the police prosecutor Sub-Inspector Samateh, on 2nd November 2008 while the police were on a night patrol they came across the convict with varieties of clothing materials. He said the convict was asked about the clothing materials but could not give any proper explanation and as a result he was arrested and taken to the Brikama Police Station.

He added that after further investigation it was discovered that the convict was from the tailoring shop of one Sheikh Nyass.

Prosecutor Samateh further narrated that the Sheikh Nyass was invited who identified the clothes as his property and there after the convict was cautioned and charged with the offence committed.

One Saikou Drammeh was recently convicted and sentenced to one-week imprisonment with hard labour by Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court for stealing a pedal bicycle.

The facts of the offence revealed that on 26th October 2008 the convict went into the compound of the complainant where he found a little girl from whom he requested cool water to drink.

They further revealed that the little girl told the convict that there was no cool water and as the little girl went inside the house the convict took the bicycle and went way.

According to the facts of the case, the little girl told her mother who in turn informed her husband. The husband later reported the matter to the police and after frantic search the convict was arrested and taken to the Brikama Police Station. He was later cautioned and charged with the offence committed.

Following his own plea of guilt he was sentenced accordingly.