By Binta A Bah
The Banjul Magistrate’s Court on Friday convicted Assan Jallow, a police officer, for stealing D105, 668 from one Anil Thomas George.
After being found guilty, Jallow was fined D50, 000, in default to serve one year in prison and also ordered to compensate George D105,668. in default to serve two years in prison, with both sentences to run consecutively.
His conviction came after he pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing from a motor bike which was in April this year. The prosecutor, Sergeant M Jallow briefed the court how a video footage around the Treasury Department showed the accused on the day of the crime parking a taxi just next to the complainant’s motorbike at the McCarthy Square in Banjul where the complainant was playing cricket.
Prosecutors said once the video recording identified the features of the taxi, a search was launched after the complainant filed a report and the car was intercepted at the police at Denton Bridge in May. He said investigations then led to the arrest of the accused who later confessed to the crime and even told the police how he spent some of the money on his family, girlfriend and on himself. His statements and some of the items he bought from the stolen money were tendered in court as evidence.
Pleading with the court, the accused said: “It is unfortunate that such happened to me and this is my first time. As a young man if I should go to prison my time will be wasted and I am pleading to the court for a fine and non-custodial sentence. I am pleading that I also pay in monthly installments. That is all I have in my mitigation.”
After listening to the accused’s plea of mitigation, Principal Magistrate Muhammed Krubally ordered him to pay a fine of D50, 000 and also compensate the complainant.
