By Aisha Tamba
Magistrate Ebrima Colley of the Kanifing court yesterday called out the parents of four young men who were convicted for going armed in public.
Peter Mendy, Ousman Ceesay, Abubacarr Bah, and Ansumana Jammeh were charged and convicted with conspiring to commit felony and being armed in public.
According to court records, in January this year, the four young men hired a taxi at Westfield to Manjai Kunda at night where they were arrested by the police with a bag stocked with knives and machetes.
Before delivering his sentencing, Magistrate Colley addressed the parents of the four young men present at the court: “Look at the weapons caught from your sons. These are the knives and weapons your sons move with at night conspiring to attack places. These are very dangerous weapons and you, the parents are here. Look at these knives. Who would survive if these were used on you? You better talk to them. No one will believe that you don’t know what your children are up to,” he chastised.
Sentencing
Magistrate Colley said the jail mandate of the accused persons should attract between five to seven year terms but that since they were first-time offenders, he would temper justice with mercy and grant them a second chance.
He then sentenced the first accused Peter Mendy to a fine of D2,500 on count one and another D2,500 on a second count in default to serve one year for each count. He noted that Peter was truthful and admitted that he was caught at a police checkpoint with the bag containing the arms while his co-accused denied so.
The second accused Ousman Cessay was sentenced to a three-year jail term. The third and fourth accused Abubacarr Bah and Ansumana Jammeh were sentenced to fines of D14,000 each on two counts in default to serve three-year jail terms.
Sergeant Saffie Bah was the police prosecutor.
