Charcoal burners await judgement

Senior Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Brikama Magistrates Court is expected to hand down his judgement on four youths next Monday, 27 October, after  pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful charcoal burning, contrary to section 109  of the Forest Act of The Gambia.

The four, Alpha Leigh, Basiru Jammeh, Mutarr Jallow and Momodou Jallow were reported to have been found burning charcoal in Madina Forest, Western Region, without authority.

Narrating the facts of the case, the police prosecutor, Cpl 81 Kinteh told the court that the four were caught by one Ebrima Sambou and Ebrima Cham .

He said the four were found with cutlasses, spades and axes.

In his statement, Magistrate Olajubutu told the four that he had heard the facts stated by the prosecution and that it was the convicts themselves who had pleaded guilty to the offence. “I will therefore adjourn the case to Monday October 27th for you to take your pleas of mitigation,” she concluded.