Court Issues Write to NEC Boss
By: Rachael Saykiamien
Magistrate Jomah Jallah of the Monrovia City Court has ordered a Subpoena Duces Tecum on National Elections Commission (NEC) chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah to appear on Wednesday May 4.
Judge Jallah’s decision is as a result of an application filed by prosecution lawyers to subpoena NEC Political Officer Ignatius Weah who didn’t appear in court after being subpoenaed twice to produce the original copy of the Collaborating Political Party(CPP) framework document, which the former vice president and others are to testify to in the ongoing trial.
According to the court’s Sheriff, he was never served the Writ to appear on May 2, at the Monrovia City Court.
Moreover, the Monrovia City Court Judge Jomah Jallah said former Vice President Joseph Boakai was present in court as a witness, but Weah, who was suppose to produce the original copy of the CPP Framework Document was not in court, as such the application made by the prosecution to file a Subpoena Duces Tecum to the National Elections Commission Boss,was granted.
Judge Jallah similarly stated that Subpoena witnesses Boakai and Ali have been placed on temporary hold until the original copy of the CPP Framework Document is produced, at which time they will be recalled.
However, the defense on the other hand prayed that the request be denied on grounds that the submission made is not in the right stand to be use as evidence because Weah was subpoenaed and he produced the document and it was testified to, identified and marked to be used in the case.
Speaking to reporters at the Grounds of the Temple of Justice, Alternative National Congress(ANC) Political leader Alexander Cummings averred that the Ministry of Justice led by the Solicitor General is denying him justice due to the continual delay in the trial.
He added that the trial is a case of misdemeanor and any case at the Magistrate court should last for 30 days and should be prosecuted by a civil solicitor, not the chief prosecutor.
Cummings also lamented that the ministry of Justice under President George Weah is using most of its time and resources on a misdemeanor and forgetting that there are other serious crimes to tickled.
For his part, the General Secretary of the Unity Party(UP) noted that his standard bearer, Joseph Nyumah Beakoi role as a witness in the ongoing case is to testify the truth thus stating what he knows and not to defame anyone.
He at the same time noted that the framework is what is being used against UP from having a candidate in the Lofa county senatorial election and as such they have come to testify in court that the framework document was tempered with.
