By: Nicholas Bass & Cecilia E. L. Mendy
The Banjul High Court, presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, on Tuesday affirmed the five-year imprisonment handed to Karamo Bojang, a young man convicted of assault causing serious bodily harm.
Bojang was initially sentenced on 18 September 2025 by the Brusubi Magistrates’ Court on two counts of assault. On count one, he received four years with hard labour and was ordered to pay D75,000 in compensation or serve an additional year in prison. Count two carried a one-year sentence with a D12,000 compensation, and in default to serve one year’s imprisonment.
Although Bojang admitted to the charges during his trial, he later challenged the conviction and sentence. On 16 October 2025, his lawyer, Lamin J. Darboe, filed an appeal before the High Court, arguing that the lower court failed to properly interpret the charges into Mandinka—the language Bojang chose to speak.
Darboe contended that the magistrate was obligated to read and explain the charge sheet in Bojang’s preferred language and ensure that the facts of the case were fully narrated to him before taking his plea.
However, State Prosecutor Fatoumatta Drammeh strongly opposed the appeal, maintaining that the charges were indeed interpreted in Mandinka and that the plea of guilt was properly recorded.
Justice Jaiteh agreed with the prosecution, noting that the law is clear: once an accused person pleads guilty to a charge that has been adequately explained, the court can summarily convict. He held that the magistrate acted within the law, ensured Bojang understood the charges, and correctly entered the conviction and sentence.
The Judge further stressed that Bojang’s guilty plea was “freely and voluntarily” made and could not be withdrawn through an appeal.
“An appeal on conviction cannot stand when the appellant has pleaded guilty,” Justice Jaiteh ruled, adding that only issues relating to the legality or length of the sentence could be considered.
With no valid grounds presented, the court dismissed the appeal in its entirety, effectively maintaining Bojang’s five-year jail term.
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By: Nicholas Bass & Cecilia E. L. Mendy The Banjul High Court, presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, on Tuesday…
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