The charges relate to the theft of money, a cellphone and eight diamonds from two German tourists at the Senegambia Beach Hotel in Gambia’s largest city Serrekunda, where the NIA agents were investigating a rape case.
Judge Fatou Lily Drammeh convicted the six men on four counts of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and criminal trespassing after the six year trial.
“Despite the fact that all the accused persons are married men, they deserve some punishment for the offence because they were in a position of trust. The prosecution has proven their case and this is a very serious offence,” the judge said in passing sentence.
The men were arrested in 2004 and have been out on bail for the duration of the trial.
Gambia, a sliver of a country nestled within Senegal, is a popular destination for European tourists who are attracted by its long white palm-fringed beaches and tropical climate.
Source: news24