Principal
Magistrate Hilary Abeke of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court recently rejected the
proposal made by a convict, Sherriff Jadama, to pay by installment the
compensation he was ordered to pay by the court.
Sheriff Jadama was earlier convicted of stealing a vehicle at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, and was fined D10,000 in default to serve five years in prison.
He was then ordered to pay compensation of D479,200 for the cost of the vehicle stolen in default to serve another five years.
When the matter was called, the presiding magistrate told the court that the convict’s wife called the court that they were going to pay the money, and this was why the convict was brought to the court from Mile 2 prison.
When the convict, Sheriff Jadama, was asked whether he could pay the money ordered by the court, he said he could pay D500 every month.
At that juncture, the presiding magistrate told the court that the convict was not willing to pay the money, adding that this was a court order.
He said he could not do anything unless the convict paid the money and, if he did not pay the money, he would be returned to Mile 2.
He said the court was there to maintain justice, and the convict was found guilty of the criminal offence he was charged with, which was very serious.
He said the convict’s proposal to pay D500 every month to the complainant was not fair, adding that if the court allowed the convict to continue paying D500 to the complainant, it would take him a long period before he could finish paying the money to the complainant.
The complainant was also a family man and if he collected D500 from the convict every month, he would not know how to use that money, he added.
He then ordered the convict to be returned to Mile 2 to serve his conviction.
After 5 years, if the convict did not pay the money, he would be brought back to the court for him to serve another five years, he added.