The Kanifing Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Jallow yesterday convicted and banned a man from voting in elections in the country for a period of five years.
Dembo Fatty was convicted upon his own plea of guilty to a charge of double registration.
The court also ordered the said voter’s cards to be forfeited.
Narrating the facts of the case, Cadet Inspector Touray told the court that it happened between 5th and 11th May 2011 at Serrekunda Gamtel and Bakau Wassulung Kunda registration centres.
He said the accused registered, and was to be issued with a voter’s card.
“He was given a voter’s card with election number 2020710023 and also at Bakau with election number 2020111275,” the prosecutor said.
He adduced that during cross-checking by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), they realised that the accused had acquired two voter cards.
“After verifying, the IEC personnel called the police, and told them that the accused was to be arrested,” said Inspector Touray.
He noted that the accused was arrested on 27th May 2011 and was taken to Bakau Police Station, where he was cautioned and charged with the offence committed.
The accused, in his plea of mitigation, craved the court’s indulgence to temper justice with mercy.
He added that what he had done was a mistake, and would like the court to be lenient with him.
In passing the verdict, Magistrate Jallow told the court that having pleaded guilty, the court had taken consideration of remorse and cooperation of the convict during the trial, which had made the offence committed less serious.
He cited authorities, and told the court that justice would be tempered with mercy and would caution and discharge the accused person.
He warned the general public to desist from such malpractices or else they would face the full force of the law.
The trial magistrate consequently convicted the accused, ordered the forfeiture of his voter’s card and ordered that he be banned from voting for the next five years.
