Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbake of the Kanifing Magistrates Court has urged litigants to run away from embarassment. Debtors, he said, should pay their debts.

Magistrate Mbake was speaking on Friday while presiding over a civil suit filed in by one Muhammed Basis O Deen against Isatou Jobe. The plaintiff is seeking the recovery of D9,600, being the total amount owed for goods credited to the defendant (Isatou).

When the claim was read to her, Isatou objected to the amount saying that she only owed the plaintiff D6,550.  Furthermore, she said she could undertake to pay the plaintiff D500 every month.

Lamin Ceesay, counsel for Muhammed Basis O Deen, objected to this, as, according to him, his client needs to get his money back within a reasonable period of time.

Magistrate Mbake, in his ruling, urged the defendant to settle the amount accepted as liability in order to avoid embarassment.

He said that as she had already accepted liability, she should pay the D6550 on or before 17 November, 2008.

Magistrate Mbake further ruled that the disputed balance (D3050) would go to hearing on the next session, which he set for Thursday October, 31.