Defendant Sentenced for 25 years

Criminal Court “B” Presiding Judge George S. Wiles Jr. has sentenced defendant Peter Seebo for 25 years after he was found guilty of committing murder against Jankai Sarlia of Wood Camp in Paynesville.

Defendant Seebo’s 25- year imprisonment began on Monday, 12 September 2016. According to the court document, Defendant Seebo was indicted on Saturday, 30 April 2016. The document further explained that the defendant, with criminal mind, knowingly, willfully and internationally caused the death of Jankai Sarlia by shooting her in the head with a Guinean- made single barrel pistol.

According to the new Penal Law of Liberia, Chapter 14,Section14.1,a Person is guilty of murder if he purposely or knowingly causes the death of another human being under circumstances that manifest an extreme indifference to the value of human life.

At the call of the case for hearing and during arraignment, the defendant pleaded guilty, but was not accepted by Court because it was a capital offense. The Court also considered the Defendant as not guilty, giving the prosecution the opportunity to prove its case, adding that the State took the stand and produced three (3) witnesses. He further named Abdul Rahim Sherriff as the first witness- a workmate of the efendant, Madam Betty Johnson – mother of the deceased and Police Colonel Jerry K. M. Wymah – third witness and also one of the police officer who conducted the investigation.

The Court report emphasized that the three testimonies corroborated as far as the commission of the crime by the Defendant was concerned. Following the prosecution’s argument, the Counsel for defense took stand, waived testimony, argument and requested the Court to mitigate its sentence since its client had confessed judgment.

The Court registered that the maximum penalty for such offense was a term of imprisonment for life, while the minimum penalty was a term of not less than ten (10) calendar years. The Court stated that because the Defendant was sincere in admitting to the commission of the crime, supported a request by his counsel for mitigation, his sentence was reduced, stressing that after serving twenty years of imprisonment at the Monrovia Central Prison with good behavior, he shall be eligible for parole.

By: Zee Roberts