CONVICTION IN THEFT CASE OF NAWEC TRANSFORMER IN BRIKAMA SECURED BY POLICE

By JarranewsTV Staff Reporter

In a significant legal development, Muhammad Kuyateh, a resident of Brikama, has been found guilty and subsequently sentenced to six years in prison in relation to the theft and destruction of a NAWEC transformer located in the Brikama Nyambai Forest, situated within the West Coast Region.

According to data released by law enforcement agencies, Kuyateh was apprehended in January 2026 following a thorough investigative process that established connections between him and a burglary at a NAWEC facility designated for the electrical supply of Water Borehole No. 4. Reports indicate that during this criminal act, the accused inflicted considerable damage on the transformer and unlawfully removed several of its components, thereby compromising critical public infrastructure.

The case was duly presented to the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, where Kuyateh faced multiple charges: breaking and entering, committing a felony, malicious injury to property, and theft. He entered a guilty plea to the charge of breaking and entering and was initially sentenced to one year of imprisonment.

On June 29, 2026, the prosecution succeeded in securing convictions for the remaining charges. The court imposed an additional sentence of two years for malicious injury to property and three years for theft. Moreover, the court mandated that the convict pay D106,000 in restitution to NAWEC, with the stipulation that failure to remit this compensation would result in an additional six-month imprisonment term.

As a consequence of these cumulative penalties, Kuyateh is expected to serve a total of six years in incarceration. He is also contending with separate legal proceedings concerning another alleged case of theft and destruction of a NAWEC transformer in Brikama Jamisa.

The Gambia Police Force has reiterated its dedication to the protection of essential national infrastructure, emphasizing that incidents of vandalism, theft, and other criminal activities targeting pivotal public utilities will be rigorously investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the prevailing legal framework.