As another constituent party files forgery case
By Lincoln G. Peters
What began as inter-parties’ political wrangling amongst constituent parties within the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) has exploded into daily filing of lawsuits amongst members.
The situation has become so shameful that it has degenerated in a cat and mouse games.
So on Thursday, the magisterial court in Monrovia ordered the arrest of the controversially expelled chair of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Musa Hassan Bility, and Mr. Martin S. Kollah, after a faction of the party accused the two men of allegedly committing forgery, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
This comes days after Bility sued Senator Darius Dillon for about USD$1Millon in damages for defamation.
For several months Liberty Party has been divided into two factions between Mr. Bility and Senator Nyonblee Karnga – Lawrence, the political leader of the party.
Initially the two officials announced that they were suspending each other from the LP, but Senator Karnga – Lawrence’s faction has extended its action recently, expelling Bility and others from the party.
Bility has equally sued Montserrado Senator and LP executive Abraham Darius Dillon for damages for wrong, claiming that the senator called him a criminal.
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But following the latest complaint filed by LP partisans Romeo Coker, Jeremy Russell and Napoleon Weah against Mr. Bility, Monrovia City Court Stipendiary Magistrate Jomah Jallah has issued a writ of arrest for the embattled Liberty Party chairman.
The writ of arrest instructed magistrate police Captain Larry Gormoryo and his deputy to “arrest the living bodies of Musa Hassan Bility and Martin S. Kollah.”
“You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Musa Hassan Bility and Martin S. Kollah, to be identified, defendants, and forthwith bring them before the Monrovia City Court to answer to the crimes of forgery, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation,” the Magistrate has ordered.
According to the writ, complainants Coker and others alleged that during the period of January 2021 in Gbanga, Bong County, Mr. Bility and Mr. Kollah with the intent to deceive partisans of Liberty Party as well as the public, conspired and purposely, criminally and intentionally altered the constitution of the Liberty Party.
The accused allegedly carried out the act after the Liberty Party’s convention and submitted the documents to the National Elections Commission (NEC), knowing fully well that they were not authorized to do so.
The complainants said the accused did act with wicked and criminal intent, knowing that they were not the conveners of … the convention.
The writ concluded that the alleged act by Chairman Bility and S.G. Kollah being unlawful, criminal and illegal and intentional, is in violation of Section 15.70 and 10.2.13 of the Penal Law of Liberia.
But speaking in an interview with judicial reporters, the lawyer representing Chairman Bility, Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson said that he is requesting notice of assignment in the case to enable him to know what the evidence is.
He described the writ of arrest and the crimes of forgery, criminal conspiracy and facilitation against his client as a mere bluff and delay tactic by the prosecutor.
Cllr. Johnson noted that the private prosecutors have no evidence, claiming that there is no case against his client.
“I am going to ask for the notice of assignment right now to the judge to [know what the evidence is]. I am a criminal lawyer and I read the writ, it’s not a case but a cartoon and I don’t want to go deep, but when we make the assignment for the next hearing, we will move straight to get the case out of the court,” said Cllr. Johnson.
According to him, under the Liberian law, specifically the Criminal Procedure Law, the burden of proof rests on the party that is making the allegations.
Johnson said they must speak the truth under the doctrine of reasonable doubt.
“…We will be asking for their evidence to be presented to us. According to the Constitution of Liberia, no person shall be allowed or compelled to produce evidence against him or herself in a criminal [case], so that can’t happen in our case,” Cllr. Johnson noted.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/dillon-fights-back-arthur-johnson-talking-nonsense/
