The Senegalese man who is appealing against his conviction at the high court in Banjul told Justice Amadi: “I’m a shepherd and I told the magistrate that I don’t know cannabis. The officers who arrested me told me that the drug peddlers sent me to observe the area. I’m not guilty of the charge and the magistrate was biased. He sided with the drug squad and refused to take note of most of the important things I said. I’m from Senegal but I have lived in The Gambia for so long,” Yougo Ka said.
The prosecutor, M Mendy however said Mr Ka was just making assertions. “The appellant’s appeal has no substance or proof and I urge the court to throw out the appeal,” she said but the judge asked her to study the case file before she could argue on the issue. The case resumes December 4 for the prosecutor to reply.
Ka was arraigned in July 2013 at the Banjul Magistrates Court on a single count of “possession of prohibited drugs for the purpose of trafficking”. He was found guilty in February this year and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour and a fine of one million dalasis. In default of payment, he will serve an additional year in jail.
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