Baboucarr Jallow, an NIA officer will be spending three years six months in prison, following his conviction by the magistrates' court in Bundung, on a charge of theft, negligence of official duty and abuse of office.
Jallow was charged and arraigned alongside his colleague, Demba Sowe, who was acquitted and discharged on all the counts by the same magistrates' court.
The facts of the case were that sometime in the months of February and March 2008, at Bijilo, Baboucarr Jallow and Demba Sowe, stole the sum of D1, 621, 000, being the property of one Christopher Badjie.
Jallow was jailed three years six months for theft, two years for negligence of official duty and two years for abuse of office, with all the sentences to run concurrently.
Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Jallow was found culpable for all the offences by the court, presided over by Magistrate Lamin George.
Jallow was charged with Sowe for conspiracy, theft, neglect of official duty, abuse of office, destroying evidence, fraud, bribery and disobedience to a lawful command. However, the charge of conspiracy was later dropped.
In passing judgment, Magistrate George noted that the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said Jallow was found guilty on the charge of theft, negligence of official duty and abuse of office, but was discharged on count five for destroying evidence, count six for public officer receiving property to show favour, count seven for fraud and count eight for disobedience to lawful command. His colleague, Demba Sowe, was not found guilty on any of the counts charged.
