By: Dawda M. Jallow
Three NAWEC staff members Salieu A. Jallow, Malang Kujabi and Lamin Darboe were alongside two security guards of Five Star Security CompanyHaddy Camara and Abou Bachilly were on Thursday convicted of stealing six transformers from NAWEC.
Their conviction followed their admission of guilt for the charge of stealing.
In delivering her judgement, presiding Magistrate Mben Faal recognized that the five individuals did not waste court’s time by owning to their crime. She also put into consideration the fact that the convicts were all first-time offenders. Magistrate Faal, therefore, fined each of them D5,000 for stealing in default to serve three months imprisonment and D7, 500 for conspiracy and they will spend five months imprisonment if they default in fine payment.
Meanwhile, Haddy Camara was ordered to pay a compensation of D16, 000 to NAWEC while Abou Bachilly was ordered to pay a D27, 000compensation. NAWEC staff members Salieu A. Jallow, Malang Kujabi and Lamin Darboe were ordered to compensate their employer with D97, 000 in default to serve two years imprisonment.
The prosecution, led by ASP Touray, charged the convicts with the offenses of “conspiracy to commit felony” and “stealing by clerk or servant”, contrary to sections 368 and 258 of the Criminal Code, Cap 10.01 of Volume III of the Revised Laws of The Gambia (2009).
The particulars of the offences read that Salieu A. Jallow, Malang Kujabi, Lamin Darboe, Haddy Camara, and Abou Batchilly sometime in August of this year in the Kanifing Municipality and diverse places in the municipality, conspired among themselves to commit a felony: stealing by clerks or servant.
Court records showed that the NAWEC employees, who were working in different positions and by virtue of their positions, stole NAWEC transformers valued at D336,000.
In narrating the facts of the matter, ASP Touray told the court that Ousman Touray, who works at NAWEC, reported to NAWEC staff Lamin Gassamathat there were unused transformers which were destroyed and they were missing. ASP Touray narrated that the matter was reported to Kairaba Police Station, adding that all the accused personsconfessed to committing the crime.
“During the investigation, the six transformers were taken to the police station by a scrap dealer, Bakary Camara, to whom they sold the transformers in scraps. He [Bakary Camara] confessed to the investigators that he bought the six transformers from the accused,” ASP Touray adduced. He explainedBakary informed the investigators that Haddy was given D16, 000 from the proceeds of the sale of the transformers while Abou Bachilly was given D27,000.00
