By: Ousman Saidykhan
One Sanna Camara, 29, who was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison for shop breaking has appeared before Principal Magistrate, Jabang, as he faces the second count where he is accused of stealing items from a fashion shop of one Mariama Sanyang worth over D65, 000.
Sanna was arraigned earlier this month before Magistrate Jabang at the Kanifing Magistrate Court on two counts of Shop-breaking and stealing contrary to sections 283 and 252 respectively.
He pleaded guilty to count 1 (shop-breaking) but denied stealing some of the items on the charge sheet resulting in a “not guilty plea” being entered for him by the Magistrate. He was accordingly sentenced to 5 years in prison with hard labour.
The trial of the second count begins this morning and if the accused is found guilty, he may get another 5-year jail term, with the testimony of the 1st witness, Mariama Sanyang.
Mariama, who is the victim in this case was not present when the act was being committed as it was allegedly done in the early hours of the morning, testified that she was sleeping when armed PIU officers woke her early morning and broke the piece of news to her.
“I was terrified. My mum was terrified too when they knocked on our door. They told me my shop was broken,” the witness, who is also the victim, explained.
She continued that she left with the officers because her shop is not far from her residence: “When I reached the shop, I saw a crowd. I saw the accused person sitting opposite the shop with others. They asked me whether I know him, I said no,” she told the court.
The witness testified that she was shocked after entering her shop and finding out it was almost empty. “I was like wow,” she said, adding the PIU officers took the accused to Manjai police station where she gave a statement.
Some items amounting to D18, 520 were recovered, according to the prosecutor, Bojang. However, the rest, D46, 880 was still missing. The recovered items were tendered and marked as exhibit E series. They are 15 shirts, 7 pairs of trousers, 3 Haftans, 4 shampoos, two pairs of shoes and 2 intimate wash for women.
These items were shown to the witness for identification purposes. She told the court she recognized them. The prosecution applied for the items to be entrusted to the victim because they were “central” to her business.
Meanwhile, the accused who had no questions for cross-examination alleged that the PIU officers who arrested him must have taken some items recovered from him, confessing that the items presented before the court are less than what was recovered from him.
He said he overheard one officer tell the other that he needed some trousers. “I was cuffed on a pole at their guard post. They entered in a house with the items but came out with half of the bag they entered with, he alleged.
The case was adjourned to the 6th of September.
