Four Senegalese, three Gambians convicted

The Banjul Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Taiwo Alagba on Monday convicted and sentenced four Senegalese nationals and three Gambians to a fine of D5,000 each in default to serve six months in prison with hard labour.

Amat Njie, Malick Faye, Alieu Jallow and Abdoulie Jallow, all Senegalese, as well as Modou Trawally, Wuyeh Njie and Ansumana Bojang, all Gambians, were convicted upon their plea of guilty to conspiring to commit an offence.

They were said to have conspired and received $500 from a ship captain to transport two  Liberian nationals into The Gambia, which they knew or have reason to believe was illegal, on 29th May 2011.

The prosecuting officer, Cadet ASP Manneh, applied to tender both the cautionary and the voluntary statements of the convicted persons, as well as the $500, which were accordingly tendered and admitted by the court as exhibits.

Narrating the facts of the case, Cadet Inspector Manneh of the Police Prosecution Unit told the court that the two Liberians in May 2011 concealed themselves in a vessel from Liberia.

“It was on the 28th May 2011 when the vessel was in the territory of The Gambia, and the captain of the vessel alerted one of the convicts and his crew who were at the time also fishing in Gambian waters,” he added.

The vessel’s captain then told the canoe captain to take the duo to The Gambia as they were coming from Liberia, and that he could not transport them to France, Manneh continued.

The ship’s captain offered $500 to the boat’s captain and his crew to bring the two Liberians to The Gambia, adding that the accused persons were eventually arrested at Banjul terminal, the moment the boat anchored.