The Government of Liberia on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 presented to Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Willie pieces of evidence seeking to convict a Guinean accused of plotting to overthrow the current Junta President of Guinea Mamady Doumuyah.
Prosecution earlier failed to submit their evidence to the court and were issued a writ of summons by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to produce all oral and documentary evidence seized from the defendant Ibrahim Khalil Sheriff during the time of arrest.
But state lawyers through the Ministry of Justice presented the pieces of evidence to include cash in the tone of US$2,202 and Guinean Franc $171,500 plus LD$940 along with a sheet of paper with a list of items perceived as receipt for ammunition purchased by the defendant to facilitate the alleged crime.
Items on the sheet or paper in the handwriting of defendant Sheriff which state lawyers see as one major evidence to prosecute him include an AK-47-300 for one x40, LAR-R-450 for one x19, PKM-600 for one x7, RPGT-1000 for one x9 and monthe-1500 for one x4 among other items.
Our judicial reporter said the manner of presentation of evidence by prosecution seems as if it indicts people on hearsay basis and does not go after the main facts, especially after presenting only US$2,202 when it claimed the defendant was arrested with US$150,000.
On Friday, September 27, 2024, the defendant through his lawyer filed a bail of information to the court that prosecution had failed to present evidence which state securities claimed they collected from his client during his arrest.
Based upon this, Judge Willie on Monday, September 30, 2024, heard the bail of information and subsequently ruled that the Minister of Justice N. Oswald Tweh, Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah, Solicitor General of Liberia and Montserrado County Attorney, Cllr. Richard Scott and Simeon Frank of the Liberia National Police appeared to give reasons while the evidence had not been presented to court.
It can be recalled that what seemed to appear like the government lawyers did not have any piece of evidence against the Guinean surfaced before Judge Willie after his 72-hour ultimatum expired on Friday, September 28, 2024.
This placed state lawyers in a position of not having any piece of oral or documentary evidence to present before the court, leading the Judge to hear a bail of information filed by the defense lawyer Sayma Syrenius Cephus on Monday 30, 2024.
Recently, state securities announced the arrest and subsequent detention of Khalil for reportedly planning to overthrow the current military government of Guinea leader Mamady Doumbuyah through the border between Liberia and Guinea. The defendant is charged with multiple crimes ranging from Mercenarism, Armed Insurrection, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Solicitation, and Paramilitary Activities.
On Tuesday, September 25, 2024, the Judge Willie denied two separate motions filed by the defendant seeking to suppress evidence and be released from the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) on bail.
The Judge said considering the laws stated, the case involves national and regional security and the safety of the defendant. The Judge in his ruling prevented prosecuting lawyers from extraditing the defendant back to Guinea or any other country without the legal determination in Liberia.
