Manlafi guilty

Senior Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Banjul Magistrates court, yesterday, convicted and sentenced Manlafi Sanyang, former head of the government’s vehicle control unit at the State House, to serve one year and one month imprisonment without any option of a fine. The sentences are to run consecutively.

Kayode Olajubutu’s decision came after he found the accused guilty on both counts of stealing and abuse of office.

The embattled Manlafi Sanyang was facing charges of stealing D75,000, being the proceeds realised from the sale of a government vehicle BJL 4591B and abuse of office, all contrary to the Criminal Code, Cap 10 vol. III, Laws of The Gambia.

Senior Magistrate Olajubutu, delivering his almost half an hour judgement in a crowded courtroom, made references to the three-month long litigation and other decided cases both in The Gambia and Nigeria.

According to the magistrate, he had listened carefully and read the entire evidences adduced in court by both the prosecution and defence witnesses.

The magistrate recalled that the prosecution called in four witnesses: one ASP Phillip Jarju, attached to the state House; ASP Fabureh, officer commanding the police licensing department; Bakary Bojang, a police detective at the serious crime unit of The Gambia Police Force (GPF); and Alagie Conteh, a businessman who bought the said vehicle from the accused.

On the other hand, the magistrate continued, the defence called in three witnesses: the accused, Manlafi Sanyang; Lamin Manneh, APRC secretary general (SG) for Lower Fulladu constituency; and Manlang Dampha, driver of the vehicle in question BJL 4591B.

“The court found out that the prosecutor has proven their case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and the court, therefore, accordingly convicted the accused,” Kayode told the waiting listeners of the verdict who stormed the court well before the start of the case.

Lamin Camara, counsel for the accused, in his plea of mitigation urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the convict is a family man with many wives and children, had served the Gambia Police Force (GPF), is a first time offender and had proven to be a very loyal and law abiding citizen of The Gambia.  “The convict is the breadwinner of his extended family both in the urban and provinces. [Giving] him custodial sentences would have serious consequences on the young children who are of school going age.  Therefore, I urge this honorable court to impose a fine instead of custodial sentences,” Lamin Camara said.

The senior magistrate told the court that the offence committed by the accused was an act of betrayal of trust and that every crime has its punishment. The magistrate consequently sentenced the accused to 8 months on count one for stealing the D75,000 being the proceeds realised from the sale of government vehicle BJL 4591B and one year on count two, abuse of office without any option of fine.

Kayode Olajubutu also ordered for the said vehicle to be returned to the Gamwaters Company Ltd, where the vehicle was parked. The accused had already spent 7 months in detention and consequently only has one year, one month to serve.