Malian National Jailed For Manslaughter

Following twelve years of legal battle, one Musa Trawally, a Malian national who was standing trial on charges of murder was on Monday 22nd June 2009, convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Brikama High Court.

Musa Trawally, according to the charge sheet, 6th June 1997, in Ballinghor Village, North Bank Region, murdered one Bakary Njie, alias Filly.

 Count two states that the convict on the same day attempted to unlawfully cause the death of one Lamin Jammeh, while count three states that the convict on the same attempted to murder one Ansu Saidy.

In her judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Ngui Mboob-Janneh, said considering the plea in mitigation of the Defense Counsel and also the number of years the case had been in detention, the court would temper justice with mercy.

According to her, the court is also mindful of the fact that someone is dead and the family is grieved, thus the need to strike a balance between the two.

Justice Ngui Mboob-Janneh therefore sentenced Musa Trawally to 15 years in prison, with hard labour on the count of manslaughter, ordering that the term he had already spent in custody be deducted from the 15 years.

On the count of causing actual bodily harm, the presiding judge sentenced the convict to a five-year imprisonment, without any option of a fine.

Both terms are to run concurrently with hard labour.

The court also ordered that upon completion of his imprisonment term, the convict be deported to his country of origin by handing him over to the Director-General of Immigration for onward deportation.