By Alagie Manneh
A former manager of Niumi FM, Bubacarr Sonko, commonly known as Rocky B, has been convicted and sentenced by a magistrate’s court in Essau yesterday afternoon for stealing.
Rocky B was first arraigned in September last year.
The prosecutor, Banjugu Njie said Rocky B received a payment of 200,000 dalasis belonging to Niumi FM but instead placed the money in his own personal bank account.
Throughout the trial, Rocky B maintained his innocence as the prosecution submitted one exhibit after another.
However, Magistrate E Sowe Sowe found him guilty and fined him D10, 000, and ordered him to return the stolen money to the radio within two weeks in default to serve a two-year prison sentence.
In his plea of mitigation, Rocky begged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying he is a family man and a first-time offender.
The court then granted him the option to pay the fine and to within two weeks return 200,000 dalasis to Niumi FM.
“Justice is served,” said Yahya Sonko, the proprietor of Niumi FM.
“I was disappointed for a whole year during which the case kept being adjourned. But I am happy now. Thank you to the justice system,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another case before the same magistrate, one Alagie Lowe was convicted and fined D50,000 in default to serve six years in prison.
He was arraigned for stealing a bag of rice from a motor vehicle parked on the road.
When the crimes were read before Mr Lowe, he pleaded guilty, telling the court he “accepts everything”.
Prosecutor Banjugu Njie said after the judgement that Mr Lowe is famous for bad deeds.
“Everybody knows him,” the prosecutor said. “The moment he is out, people have problem.”
In 2018, Mr Lowe, 53, was convicted by another judge, Justice Abeke for breaking and entering.
