By Nicholas Bass
Magistrate Ebou Sowe, Brikama Magistrate’s Court on Friday convicted and ordered Abou Bojang and Ebrima Jassey to pay a fine of D75,000 each in default to serve 6- years imprisonment at Mile II Central Prison.
Abou Bojang and Ebrima Jassey pleaded guilty to having 12 kilograms of cannabis sativa when the charge was read and interpreted to them.
In his plead for temper justice with mercy, defense counsel Ismaila Dibbatold to the court that his clients were first-time offenders, noting that they did not waste the time and resources of the court.
Therefore ”your Worship there is no endurance that the convicts Abou Bojang and Ebrima Jassey are habitual offenders.
I begged the court to temper justice with mercy and impose a fine instead of a custodial sentence,” Counsel L. Dibba pleaded to the court.
However, Magistrate Ebou Sowe in his discretion jointly ordered Abou Bojang and Ebrima Jassey to pay a sum of D150, 000 in default to serve 6 years imprisonment at Mile II Central Prison.
He pointed out that based on the strong appeal and dispensation the convicts in this matter have demonstrated quality and natural justice after pleading guilty to the offense charge without any delay to the court.
”I hereby ordered the convicts, Abou Bojang and Ebrima Jassey to jointly pay a fine of D150,000 in default to serve 6 years imprisonment. If in the event, the convicts have difficulty in paying the whole sum, the court will avail them to pay a monthly installment of D 20,000 commencing from the end of June 2023 to December 2023.
”If the convicts fail to comply with the monthly installment they shall be arrested and taken to Mile 2 Central Prison to serve their imprisonment until the amount is duly paid in full”, Magistrate E. Sowe ruled.
