Mbour: A phone left on led victims to the student thief



P. Ba, a second-year law student at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended, for the theft of five cell phones in Mbour. According to L'Observateur, which attended the hearing, the theft occurred on October 6th, around 4:00 AM.

Taking advantage of the occupants' sleep, the same source explains, P. Ba broke into the home of the widow Y. Diouf and stole five cell phones. But as he was leaving, he was spotted by SF Diop, one of the homeowner's sons, who raised the alarm. The family members then gave chase. The young man nevertheless managed to escape with his loot.

However, once home, one of the devices, belonging to B. Diop, refused to turn off. Equipped with a geolocation system, the phone then became a crucial clue. It allowed the victims to trace the thief first to the Thiocé neighborhood, then to the central market of Mbour, where P. Ba was selling his loot on the black market, commonly known as "the network".

Caught in the act, the suspect was handed over to officers at the central police station in Mbour and placed in detention.

In the dock at the Mbour court, the student partially confessed to the charges. He admitted to being found in possession of the devices but denied stealing them. He claimed that a friend, who he alleged had committed the theft, contacted him the next day to ask him to resell the phones. However, the newspaper noted that he struggled to substantiate this version of events, failing to provide specific details about this individual.

The prosecutor requested the strict application of the law. Following deliberations, P. Ba was found guilty. He will also have to pay 90,000 FCFA, 120,000 FCFA, and 150,000 FCFA respectively to the three civil parties present at the hearing, for a total of 360,000 FCFA. The court reserved judgment on the interests of the other victims who were absent from the trial, the newspaper of the Future Media Group added.