Father Remanded for Allegedly Squandering Son’s Money

Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court last Friday sent one Lamin Kanyi to remand in Mile 2 for allegedly squandering his Europe-based son’s money.

Modou Kanyi, the plaintiff, told the court that he was claiming D600,500, representing the total sum of monies being the selling price of two motor vehicles he had earlier sent, as well as some building materials that were supposed to be used in a building in the compound of his mother and relatives.

The plaintiff further claimed that instead of building the house in his compound as the defendant was directed, he built a house in his own compound, adding that to make matters worse, the defendant turned him back from the said compound whenever he went to visit.

He adduced that the defendant also sold the vehicles belonging to him and spent the proceeds lavishly. He related that the money he sent his father to build the house was actually his European wife’s contribution to the building of a house where they could stay each time they came on holidays to The Gambia. He said because of the defendant’s conduct, his European wife became so disappointed that she kept on crying all the time. He told the court that the defendant had to pay back the money.

At that point, the magistrate asked the defendant to tell the court his side of the story. The defendant denied all what the plaintiff said, telling the court that the plaintiff bought the vehicles for him to use as taxis so that he (the defendant) could use the proceeds for fish money.

The plaintiff denied the defendant’s claim and said that in fact the defendant had already sold the vehicles whose proceeds were never given back to him.

The defendant countered that he was at that point in possession of D23,000 as proceeds from the sale of a Benz his son had bought.

Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh then ordered the defendant to pay the D23,000 to the registrar for onward delivery to the plaintiff. He then ordered for the defendant to be remanded