The five men who were arrested by the police in Brikama for going about town, posing as security and health staff were last Thursday convicted and sentenced to various jail terms.

Ebrima Jallow; the mastermind, Lamin Camara, Pa Jally, Lamin Jatta and Hatab Sanneh were undergoing trial at a magistrates’ court in Brikama for disguising themselves as health officers and detectives and in the process robbed shop-keepers of their goods and monies.

When the charges leveled against them were initially read to them early this year, they all denied responsibility and so the state prosecutor, ASP Badjie, was left with the burden of proving the case against the men beyond reasonable doubt. He called witnesses and the case then proceeded into a full trial. At the end of the testimonies from both the witnesses and the accused persons, magistrate Mbai, after winnowing the pieces of evidence rendered before him, was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecution have proven their case against the men.

He pointed out that it was quite regrettable that the convicts were victimising innocent, hard-working people by making a profession out of robbing them of their properties. He added that there exists more noble and dignified means of making life livable than robbery and other sordid deeds of cheats and swindlers.

“Though, I appreciate how remorseful you were during the course of the trial but none of you should in any way expect that justice would be tempered with mercy,” he clarified.

Magistrate Mbai therefore sent the mastermind of the operation to jail for seven years with hard labour, but was left with the option of paying a court fine of D9, 000.

Lamin Jatta, Hatab Sanneh and Lamin Camara were each slammed an D8,000 court fine and any default in paying their court fines may mean they would go to jail for six years.