The Kanifing Magistrates Court, presided over by Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbacke, on Tuesday adjourned the theft case involving Alima Sillah, who is accused of stealing from Sankung Sillah and Sons Limited the sum of D450,000.

The magistrate’s decision came following an application filed by Edu Gomez, the defence counsel for the accused person. According to counsel Gomez, the accused has paid about three quarters of the said sum. He appealed for the court to give his client another 3 weeks. According to him, the company is more interesed in retrieving the stolen sum than having a custodial sentence imposed on his client.  He added that the accused and the complainant are relatives.  

The counsel’s words of appeal were echoed by a representative from the said company, who informed the court that they would not want the accused jailed but wish to recover the stolen sum. Inspector Fadera, the police prosecutor handling the case objected to the counsel’s submission.

In his reaction, Magistrate Mbacke said the court was of the view that since the relatives of the accused are more interested in getting their money back than sending her to jail, the court will give the accused person two weeks to settle the remaining sum. The case was adjourned to February 3.