Butcher Pleads Guilty for Overcharging Price of Steak

Abdoulie Njorr, a Senegalese national was on the 29thSeptember, 2008, arraigned before Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court for selling a kilo of steak for D120 instead of D80, a charge he accepted.

According to the facts as narrated by prosecutor 358 Sarr, on the 25thSeptember, 2008 between 2pm to 3pm at Serrekunda Market, a customer called Ousman Saidy went to the accused's place to buy steak and asked the accused person the price.

The accused person, said prosecutor Sarr, told the customer that the price of a steak was D120. He revealed that at that juncture, there was a man called Bakary Sarjo who is working for the Voice of the Nation, who witnessed the transaction.

Prosecutor Sarr continued to say that the accused was intercepted by Bakary Sarjo inorder not to sell the meat at D120 per kilo. He further narrated that Bakary Sarjo arrested the accused and handed him to the police in Serrekunda Station where he was cautioned and charged accordingly.

However, because the Magistrate was very busy with other cases, he asked the accused to step down from the dock to wait to know his fate on the 30thSeptember 2008.

In another development, four other butchers namely Barra Jah, Sheikh Nyang, Modou Yaya Bah and Modou Bah were also arraigned for cheating.

According to the particulars of offence, the four accused persons on or about the 26thSeptember, 2008 at Serrekunda market jointly with intent to defraud by selling meat more than the price ordered by the President. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Subsequently, the accused were granted bail in the sum of D7000 or in the provision of a Gambian surety with a title deed to be deposited with the Assistant Registrar.