The Special Criminal Court yesterday convicted and sentenced one Mangiki Sambou to 15 years imprisonment for the offence of arson, and 5 years for the offence of stealing by clerk.
Ms Sambou, who was found culpable of the offences charged, was further convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for the offence of willful damage to property.
However, she was acquitted and discharged for the offence of being in possession of stolen property.
Justice Emmanuel Nkea, in delivering his judgment, stated that the convicted person, Mangiki Sambou, was charged with arson by setting fire to the house of Golden Torch Shop, stealing by clerk, willful damage to property and being in possession of stolen property, and that the incident happened on 14 April 2011 at Kairaba Avenue.
The judge adduced that the prosecution led evidence through six witnesses and tendered exhibits, while the convicted person testified and called one witness.
Justice Nkea pointed out that the convict, in her statement, admitted taking D100,000, and DW2 also told the court in her testimony that the convict gave her D5,000 for safe keeping, and that the convict intended to take the money to the bank, which she failed to do, as she promised.
He stated that in order to establish the charge of arson, the prosecution must establish that there was a fire and it was caused by the convict, and the act was committed willfully, adding that there was evidence that there was a fire outbreak at the Golden Torch Shop, which he held as a fact.
“I am satisfied that exhibit A and A1, are the truth,” he said, adding that the fire at the Golden Torch Shop was the act of the convict who willfully caused the fire outbreak.
He further stated that he was also satisfied that the prosecution had proven count 1 and 4 against the convict, and that on count 2, which was stealing by clerk, the convict had admitted stealing D99,000 and she informed DW2 about it.
He added that count three had failed, as there was no evidence to support the charge.
