The Banjul High Court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for Karamo Bojang, who was convicted of assault causing serious bodily harm. Justice Ebrima Jaiteh dismissed Bojang's appeal against the initial conviction from the Brusubi Magistrates’ Court.
Bojang's lawyer, Lamin J. Darboe, had argued that the charges were not properly interpreted into Mandinka, his client's chosen language. State Prosecutor Fatoumatta Drammeh countered that the plea process was correctly followed. Justice Jaiteh found that Bojang had entered a free and voluntary guilty plea after the charges were sufficiently explained to him.
The judge ruled that an appeal on conviction is invalid after a guilty plea, and no grounds for challenging the sentence were established. The original sentence, which includes a four-year term with hard labor and compensation of 75,000 dalasis for one count, plus a consecutive one-year term with 12,000 dalasis in compensation for a second count, was therefore affirmed.
Bojang's lawyer, Lamin J. Darboe, had argued that the charges were not properly interpreted into Mandinka, his client's chosen language. State Prosecutor Fatoumatta Drammeh countered that the plea process was correctly followed. Justice Jaiteh found that Bojang had entered a free and voluntary guilty plea after the charges were sufficiently explained to him.
The judge ruled that an appeal on conviction is invalid after a guilty plea, and no grounds for challenging the sentence were established. The original sentence, which includes a four-year term with hard labor and compensation of 75,000 dalasis for one count, plus a consecutive one-year term with 12,000 dalasis in compensation for a second count, was therefore affirmed.
