By Sering Mass Jallow
The Kanifing Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a man to six months imprisonment after convicting him of attempting to steal money using a lost Access Bank ATM card.
Magistrate Sallah M’bai handed down the sentence on Monday after Idrissa Kebbeh pleaded guilty to attempting to commit an offence contrary to Section 338 of the Criminal Offences Act 2025.
Police prosecutor Corporal 6472 A. Badjie, representing the Inspector General of Police, told the court that the offence occurred on 31 July 2026 along Kairaba Avenue in the Kanifing Municipality.
The prosecution said Kebbeh was found in possession of an Access Bank ATM card belonging to another person and attempted to withdraw money from the account at an ATM in Westfield.
According to the prosecutor, after failing to access the funds through the ATM, the accused entered the bank and asked a teller to process the withdrawal over the counter.
The teller became suspicious of the request and contacted the account holder, who confirmed that the ATM card had been lost and that no one had been authorized to withdraw money from the account.
The case was concluded at its second hearing after Kebbeh maintained his guilty plea. During mitigation, he asked the court for leniency, describing the incident as a mistake.
In her judgment, Magistrate M’bai rejected that argument, ruling that the accused’s actions amounted to a deliberate attempt to obtain money belonging to another person.
She said Kebbeh’s possession of the lost ATM card and his efforts to withdraw funds clearly demonstrated an intention to commit theft.
The magistrate acknowledged that the guilty plea had saved the court time and resources, but said the seriousness of the offence warranted a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent.
Kebbeh was accordingly convicted and sentenced to a mandatory six-month term at Mile II Central Prison.
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