By Amadou Jadama
Alieu Njie who was arrested at the Banjul International Airport with ecstasy tablets on December 17 last year has been convicted and sentenced to a fine of D500,000 in default to serve six years in prison.
Njie was found guilty on two counts of possessing and dealing in prohibited drugs by Principal Magistrate Anna Mendy of the Brikama court.
On count one he was sentenced to a D250,000 fine in default to serve three years in prison and on count two he was sentenced to a D250,000 fine in default to serve another three years in prison.
Njie was caught with 47,078 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) amounting to 22kg 900g.
When arraigned he pleaded guilty.
In his plea of mitigation before sentencing, Njie begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
In handing down the sentencing, Magistrate Mendy noted: “I have carefully watched the demeanour of the convict all through this trial and attentively listened to his plea of mitigation. He is indeed a very remorseful young and a first-time offender as revealed by the prosecution before the court. I am motivated to exercise mercy, mindful of the circumstances.
She added: “The effect of drugs in our communities is a growing concern as most Gambian youths are diagnosed of drug induced psychosis. This is a psychiatric illness. There is need to eliminate drugs in our communities. But I am mindful of the fact that the convict is a first-time offender and didn’t waste the precious time of the court.”
She then handed the light sentence with the statutory minimum of Sections 35 (1) (a) and 33 (1) (c) of the Drug Control Act 2003 and ordered that the seized ten packets of ecstasy containing the 47,068 pills be destroyed by the state after the expiration of the 28 days “in order not to endanger any probable appeal”.
Chief Inspector M Demba led the prosecution for National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
