Principal Magistrate Krubally of the Banjul Magistrate’s Court has ordered the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to pay D160,000 to one Micheline Verhoeven (female), a plaintiff. The IGP was also urged to return the plaintiff’s vehicle with registration number WCR 0777C which was said to be in the custody of the Brusubi Police Station.
Delivering his judgment on 24th May 2023 in a civil case between Micheline Verhoeven and the IGP, Principal Magistrate Krubally gave the following orders:
1. An order that the plaintiff immediately recovers her vehicle under the possession of Brusubi Police bearing the registration number WCR 0777 C belonging to the said plaintiff and in the custody of the defendant.
2. An order for damages of D100, 000 to be paid by the defendant to the plaintiff.
3. Legal and administrative fees of D60,000.
Giving the background of the case, Principal Miagstrate Krubally said the case was mentioned in his court on 10th May 2023. “There existed proof of service on the defendant herein the Inspector General of Police who neither appeared nor did he advance reasons for his absence or to a larger extent did not send a representative,“ he remarked.
He said the plaintiff prefaced that her car marked Mitsubishi Montero bearing the registration number WCR 0777 C had been confiscated by the police arguing that same was the subject of investigation and as a result was stationed at the Brusubi Police Station for many months now. “She said after all these while and followed up with the police, they cannot still tell her any tangible reason,“ he stated.
Lawyer Malick H.B Jallow represented the plaintiff.
