City Court judge Jomah Jallah on mission for Liberia’s ruling party?

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Temple of Justice in Monrovia

Garmah Lomoh|LPR News, Monrovia

Since the removal of Judge Ernest Bana from the Monrovia City Court at the  Temple of Justice and the subsequent appointment of Judge Jomah Jallah, the Monrovia City Court has totally turned to Coalition for Democratic Change Court.

Former Monrovia City Court Judge Bana was removed immediately after he ruled in a motion to suppress evidence and return property in Roots FM owned and operated by vocal talk show host Henry P. Costa.

Many lawyers and party litigant have been heard complaining in the corridor of court that Judge Jomah Jallah was purposely appointed at the Monrovia City Court for only government and not to dispense Justice by law.

Judge Jallah once the government has case with you or you have case with the government, many can say, just leave your with God because he was appointed to satisfy government instead of him dispensing Justice in line with the Constitution of Liberia.

Liberia Public Radio quoted judiciary sources as saying that the Monrovia City Court judge has been keen on summary proceedings on numerous occasions for ‘transgression error or ethical behavior’.

Judge Jallah has again  denied a motion seeking to suppress evidence and return property filed by defendant Alexander Sampson a case which   “the republic of Liberia by and thru the Liberia National Police verses Emmanuel Johnson, Willie D. Flomo and all were charged and forwarded to court for alleged crimes of rioting, failure to disperse, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and possession and sale of physical object for lethal use”.

 Judge Jomah Jallah in his ruling of motion said, movants in this case informed court that he is an attorney-in-fact of one Representative Yekeh Kolubah who is owner of said vehicle, which is currently impounded at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police.

Since was appointed as Judge of the Monrovia City Court, has never taken decision of his own without the involvement of Montserrado County Attorney Edwin Kla Martin or the Solicitor General especially when the matter involve with opposition.

The Monrovia City Court Judge added that the vehicle was illegally seized by the Republic of Liberia and sees no reasons why the vehicle cannot be returned to the owner since indeed and in fact the vehicle has nothing to do with the case before this court.

Prosecution on the other hand says the motion should be dismissed on ground that the motion filed to suppress evidence and return property can only occur when a search and seizure warrant is served on a party believe to be in possession of contraband.

State lawyers further argued that the vehicle that movant is requesting court to return to the movant the evidence, which depends on to produce during the course of the trial and that if the said vehicle, is given to the movant, prosecution will have no evidence to produce during the course of the trial.

However, the court says that the practice, procedure and law controlling motion to suppress evidence and return property grows out of a search and seizure warrant leading to the search and seizure of the vehicle.

Judge Ernest Bana who was replaced in November 2019

The court further says that it has found no law to allow it to turn over an instrument of which a party relied on an evidence to be given to the adverse party in a criminal proceeding and motion filed by the movant is not supported by the practice and law controlling.

 Said ruling made by Judge Jomah Jallah, the defend lawyers took exception and promised to take advantage of the law controlling including summary proceedings to the appreciate court.

 It can be on January 6,2020 save the state protest, a vehicle belonging to Representative Yekeh Kolubah on the protest ground was found with two Ravol pistol guns which said vehicle was driven by police officers to their headquarters after they dispersed the protesters with nobody in it.

The state has been represented by City Solicitor Alfred Bandiyo, Montserrado County Attorney Edwin Kla Martin, David Wilson. While, the defendant Alexander Sampson has been represented by Cllr. Laval Supuwood, Cllr. Jimmy Bombo, Atty. Alphonso Woiwoi and Cllr. Findley Y. Kangar.

Many judiciary insiders told Liberia Public Radio that judge Jomah Jallah is on a mission for the ruling party and will always do everything possible to rule in favor of any case involving the government or partisan.

 

 

 

 

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