By Amadou Jadama
Principal Magistrate Muhammed Krubally of the Brusubi court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced one Isatou Drammeh to a fine of D25, 000 in default to serve six months in prison.
Madam Drammeh was found guilty on a single count charge of giving false information to a public servant, the police.
Reading the brief facts in court, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Alieu Faye, said the incident happened on July 8 when the accused reported at Old Yundum police station that she met a woman standing at the Trust Bank branch in Yundum who begged her D50 which she obliged. But the accused further claimed that she ended up withdrawing D250, 000 from her account which she gave to the beggar along with a Tecno mobile phone valued at D4,000.
“Acting on this information, the police wrote to the Bank to ascertain whether such amount of money was withdrawn and whether the CCTV footage captured the accused while transacting the withdrawal. The Bank replied to the investigation team that no such amount was withdrawn by the said accused and there was no footage of her on the CCTV,” the policeman told the court.
The police prosecutor further stated it was established that the accused was entrusted with D297,500 by her elder sister in the USA which she used for her own business and that she confessed to the police that the statement she earlier gave was false.
Madam Drammeh begged the court: “I was desperate and that is why I got involved in this. I did not misuse my sister’s money either but I used it to help my husband. “
In passing his sentencing, the trial magistrate Krubally, said he has considered the nature of the charge and the honesty of the accused in not wasting the court’s time, and also considered the accused’s mitigating circumstances which he found shocking and touching. He said the Madam Drammeh showed remorse.
