By Alhagie Jobe
Security sources and frequent panel members always set up at the notorious National Intelligent Agency (NIA) to investigate cases especially of interest to Dictator Jammeh have told The Fatu Network that the jailed former manager of Kanilai Family Farms Lang Conteh is absolutely innocent.
Sources who spoke to us anonymously for safety reasons say Mr Conteh should have been applauded for his good job. Mr Conteh never stole any money but instead to the surprise of all, through his personal contacts, spend more than the amount meant for the renovation and furnishing of the Kanilai Farmily Farms and made it more standard than anticipated.
Mr Conteh was arrested and alleged to have stolen D1,538 804 meant for the renovation of Kanilai Family Farm building around the Albert Market in Banjul while he was serving as the manager.
One of our sources who is always part of The NIA panel investigating high profile cases said the authorities wanted to use a few of them as witnesses to testify against Mr Conteh but they refused for the simple reason that there was no case. “I have all the receipts with me and the investigation report. I was part of the investigation panel” a security source in Banjul told us.
Mr Conteh was on May 5th, 2016 convicted and sentenced to two-year mandatory jail term with hard labor after finding him guilty on a single count of theft by the Banjul Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Omar Cham.
The court further ordered him to pay restoration as per the allegation pursuant to section 145 of the Criminal Procedure Code {CPC} and failure to comply with the said order will make him serve another year in prison with hard labour.
In his mitigation, Conteh who has since denied any wrong doing, urged the court to exercise justice with mercy and reason as he is a father. “I executed this work to the best of my ability to satisfy my employer. My plea to you is please don’t send me to jail for this. I have a family and I was in detention for seven months and I think that alone is enough. I urge the court to consider the trauma I went through; the two years of legal battle,” Mr Conteh appealed in tears.
This is the second time Mr Conteh has been sent to jail; he served a brief jail term several years ago on another allegation of criminal conduct.
