The Director of African Democracy and Good Governance Edwin Nebolisa Nwakame was on Monday sentenced by Magistrate Abeke of Banjul Magistrates' Court to a mandatory jail term of six months imprisonment with hard labour.

A fine of D10, 000 was also imposed on the defendant in default to serve three years in prison with hard labour.

The trial magistrate further ordered that the defendant is banned from running or operating any form of organisation in the Gambia, but however said the accused has the right to appeal against his judgment.

Before he finally sentenced him, the trial magistrate asked the defendant to make his plea in mitigation as the law has found him guilty as charged.

The defendant said that he is a family man with four children and that he has been working in the country for 20 years; adding that ADG is duly registered with the Attorney General's Chambers (AG) and they have been operating since 2006 and has never been found wanting in any way.

"The sentence imprisonment is six months or a fine of five hundred dalasis and I urge my lord to take into greater consideration that I have been in the remand for almost seven months and I urge my lord to tamper justice with mercy on me," he pleaded.

At this juncture the presiding magistrate ruled that the accused instead of pleading for leniency the accused is talking about something else and that he is not convinced about the plea made by the accused and subsequently sentenced him to prison for six months and to a fine of D10, 000.

Readers would recall that Edwin Nebolisa Nwakame was charged for giving false information to a public officer contrary to section 114 of the Criminal Code Cap 10. Volume III law of the Gambia 1990.