Principal Magistrate Abeke of the Brikama Magistrates' Court recently discharged and acquitted a man charged with receiving stolen property.
In his judgement, the trial magistrate stated that the accused, Goroji Camara, pleaded not guilty, which caused the case to proceed into trial.
He added that the prosecution in support of their case had called in three witnesses while the accused testified on his own and did not call any witness.
According to Magistrate Abeke, after a careful evaluation of the evidence before the court, the court found that the prosecution had woefully failed to prove their case beyond any reasonable doubt.
He said that in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, the accused stated that he bought the four sheep from Abuko but while they were going to Abuko for investigation, the accused changed his mind and told them he stole the sheep.
Magistrate Abeke added that the investigators should have proceeded to Abuko to confirm whether the accused got the four sheep there or not, but instead they failed to do so.
He said that based on the incomplete investigation, the prosecution had woefully failed to prove to the court that the four sheep were suspected stolen property, and found the accused not guilty of the offence.
He consequently acquitted and discharged the accused person and also ordered that the four sheep and the vehicle with registration number BJL 3674 be returned to the accused person.