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| The embattled top-cop was found guilty on Monday after a long-running legal battle |
Ex-Inspector General of
Police Ensa Badjie, Lt. Mamatarr Secka and Major Kuluteh Manneh who pleaded
“not guilty” to 51 charges since 2010, were found guilty on 42 charges and
sentenced accordingly by the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in
Banjul, The Gambian capital.
All the three were handed
various prison sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years on several charges, which
Justice Emanuel Nkea, presiding, said will run concurrently from the date they were first taken into custody.
The
court however acquitted and discharged Badjie and Co. who were in court for
sentencing on 9 charges.
A
fully-packed court gallery shouted in “disapproval” when the judge announced
the first verdict, a custodial sentence of 10 years. Relatives also wept.
Their
counsels, Bory Touay and Lamin K. Mboge had before the sentencing pleaded with
the court to tamper justice with mercy and urge for a non-custodial sentence.
They talk about the “responsibilities” of their clients and their services to
the country.
The
judge in his verdict cited compelling mitigating circumstances which are in
favour of the convicts, citing the clean past of no previous conviction of Lt.
Secka and Major Manneh, their ages and being breadwinners for their respective
families.
He
admitted that a long custodial sentence would inflict further hardship on their
respective families.
I
have considered the fact that all the convicts were senior service officers,
each, in his own right. The society looked up to them as protectors of the
institutions of State, and thus, they incarnate the institutions of State, the
judge said.
“The
convicts all had the onerous duty to uphold the law at all times. They choose
not only to be law breakers, but also to incite hatred and dissatisfaction
against their Commander in Chief; the holder of the highest office in the
land,” he said.
He
added that they failed their calling as law enforcement officers.
“I
will hold all these as aggravating factors to impose an enhanced and deterrent
punishment under section 52 of the Criminal Code,” he said. “As a result of the
forgoing, the convicts will not benefit from my discretion under section 29(2)
of the Criminal Code.”
During
the course of the trial, the prosecution had called 16 witnesses and tendered a
host “evidences” in support of their indictment.
While
each of the accused (now convicts) gave sworn evidence in their defence and
also tendered a host of evidences. Ensa Badjie called in 9 additional witnesses
to support his defence.
The
Jan., 21 judgment brought the long-running high-profile criminal trial to an
end. But the convicts still have right to appeal against their custodial
sentences.
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Written by Modou S. Joof
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