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Momodou
Denmark
11863 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Dec 2011 : 15:30:14
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Lactating Mothers, Students Jailed for Obstructing Presidential Convoy
Friday, December 23, 2011
Four people, among them, two women and two seventeen year-old boys have been handed down a one year jail term for obstructing Gambian president Yahya Jammeh’s convoy.
Nyarra Camara and Adama Sanneh, the two lactating mothers and Ansu Badjie and Alieu Bojang, are from Batabutu Kantora village in Foni Bintang constituency.
They have stretched-out a ten metre size rope along the Trans-Gambia highway last week Thursday with a view to obstruct a Banjul-bound presidential convoy from president’s birth village, Kanilai.
The convicts though pleaded guilty to the charge of obstructing a presidential convoy, they however told the magistrates’ court in Brikama that they have no intention to commit any crime.
All of them claiming to be supporters of president Jammeh’s ruling APRC, the two women and boys said, they did it just to get money from president Jammeh.
When the case was called on Wednesday, sergeant Jammeh announced his appearance for the state, but the accused persons have no legal representation.
The first accused person, Nyarra Camara, in her plea for mercy, said she did not know what she did is criminal.
Though she pleaded guilty, she noted that her conscience is very clear. “My husband is sick and I have six children, the youngest is just one year old. They are all under my care, I have no body to support me, please I beg you for mercy.”
The second accused person, Adama Sanneh in her plea told the court that they were just happy and were expressing their happiness over president Jammeh’s victory in the just concluded presidential polls.
The third accused person, Ansu Badjie, said his father is sick and that he is the one helping his mum at home and paying his own school fees as a student.
And the fourth accused, Alieu Bojang said he is a grade 4 student, pleading for mercy.
At this stage, LK Mboge, a lawyer present in court, added his voice, pleading with the court to exercise mercy. He said, the accused persons have regretted their actions, and urged to warn the accused persons not to repeat the same act again, rather than jailing them.
“I have listened to all the mitigations and I must say they are really touching, and I am sure they have regretted the act,” said presiding magistrate Hilary Abeke.
“However, the nature of the offence is the first of its kind. The offence is strange and it should be stopped immediately,” he said, sentencing all of them to serve one year in jail.
The 17 year-old boys, he said should be taken to Jeshwang Juvenile prison whiles the lactating mothers be taken to the women’s wing in Mile 2 central prison.
Source: Dailynews |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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