By Alieu Jallow
One Babucarr Colley, a resident of Kololi Johannes, has been convicted by Principal Magistrate Isatou Sallah Mbye of the Kanifing Magistrate Court for stealing electrical wires valued at D10,000 from Seino Technical School in Bakoteh.
Statement of Offence
Stealing contrary to section 252 of the criminal code cap 10 volume 3 laws of the Gambia 2009.
Particular of offence
Babucarr Colley, on or about the 25th day of July 2024, at Seino Technical Senior Secondary School Bakoteh in the Kanifing Municipality of the Republic of the Gambia, you stole electrical wires fixed in a classroom valued at D10,000 being the property of the said school, thereby committed an offence.
According to the prosecution, on the 25th of July 2024 at Seino Senior Secondary School, Bakoteh Yunusa, One Yunusa saw the accused person cutting the electrical cables in the classroom, and when asked, the accused person said to him that he wanted to sell them to scrap dealers. At this juncture, Yunusa decided to call the proprietor of the school, who directed him to escort the young man and report the matter to the police.
Similarly, before he was taken to the police, he took the man to where he burnt the wires and was subsequently taken to the Kololi Police station. He was detained and his charges were read to him.
At this point, the prosecution applied to tender the cautionary and voluntary statement of the accused and equally tendered the said wires as evidence. These statements (cautionary and voluntary) of the police were rejected, which, according to Principal Magistrate Isatou Sallah Mbye the statement does not conform to the rules. In respect to the cables tendered they were admitted and marked as Exhibit A.
On his part, the accused, Babucarr Colley, affirmed his guilt by acknowledging committing the act.
In her ruling, Her worship, Isatou Sallah Mbye said since the accused admitted the statement after being read to him, he is therefore convicted and charged. The case was adjourned for possible sentencing. The prosecution was equally ordered to inform the parents of the accused as well as enquire from the parents of his mental health condition.
The accused is remanded at the Mile 2 central prison. The case resumes Monday 2nd September 2024 at 10 am.
