Babucarr Jagne and Ousman Ceesay were on 28 July 2015, convicted and sentenced for making unauthorized documents, by Magistrate Kijera of the Kanifing Magistrate’s Court, following their plea of guilt.
They were charged with two counts of conspiracy and making documents without authority.
Magistrate Kijera discharged both of them on count one and sentenced Babucarr Jagne to a fine of D15,000 in default to serve one year six months in prison with hard labour on count two.
Ousman Ceesay was sentenced on count two to a fine of D10,000 in default to serve one year imprisonment.
In their mitigation plea, Babucarr Jagne told the court that he did not know how serious the offence was, adding that he has a wife and some children.
He begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Ousman Ceeasy stated that this was the first time he appears in court for an offence, adding that he is a married man with a lot of children.
Lawyer Edrisa Sissoho, who was not representing them, appealed to the court for the convicts to pay the fines within a month, due to some financial constraints.
However, Magistrate Kijera gave them two weeks to pay the fines, and they were released on bail in the sum of D20,000 each with two Gambian sureties who should deposit their ID cards with the court registrar.
Prosecutors alleged that Babucarr Jagne and Ousman Ceesay on 1 October 2014, at Kanifing and diverse places in the Kanifing Municipality, jointly conspired to commit a felony by making documents of vehicle registration number BJL 0439H in the name of one Mary Augustus Mendy, which does not belong to her.
Babucarr Jagne and Ousman Ceesay, the prosecutors further alleged, on the same date, year and place jointly made documents of vehicle number BJL 0439H which was in the name of one Babucarr Bah to bear the name of Mary Augustus Mendy without authority or excuse.
Following their mitigation plea, Chief Inspector Fadera read the facts to the court.
He said that Babucarr Bah, the complainant, was married to Augustus Mendy, who now lives in England.
Bah bought a vehicle and entrusted it to his wife, while he was away studying in Turkey.
After some time, before the return of Babucarr Bah, his wife managed to have the photocopy of the ID card of her husband, which she gave to Babucarr Jagne to transfer the said vehicle in her name.
Babucarr Jagne went to Ousman Ceesay who was the agent.
Ceesay made the necessary application with the licensing authority, and the vehicle was later transferred in the name of Mary Augustus Mendy.
After the return of Babucarr Bah from studies, he discovered that the vehicle was registered in the name of his wife, who absconded to England.
Later the police mounted an investigation, and the vehicle was recovered, and the convicts were arrested and charged with the offence committed.