By Lincoln G. Peters
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon says renowned criminal lawyer Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson has been talking nonsense about him when the lawyer alleged that Dillon was on the run and hiding from court sheriffs who were out to serve him a summons in connection to a US$1m lawsuit filed by Musa Bility for wrong.
“All that nonsense Arthur Johnson was talking on the radio, it’s time for us to talk it in the court,’’ Mr. Dillon said in an interview with reporters in Monrovia Monday, 31 January 2022 at the Temple of Justice following his appearance in court.
Mr. Dillon claimed that Cllr. Johnson does not know the law, in a glaring fight – back against Cllr. Johnson’s claim that the lawmaker was on the run.
“Cllr. Arthur Johnson does not know the law. Listen to me, the best evidence of service of a writ of summons is called the sheriff’s returns, and so ask Cllr. Arthur Johnson to show you the sheriff’s returns since he says I am on the run,” Dillon said.
Over the weekend, Cllr. Johnson, the lawyer representing embattled Liberty Party (LP) Chairman Musa Bility in a US$1m lawsuit, said Senator Dillon, who stands accused in the case, was allegedly on the run.
Mr. Bility has sued Mr. Dillon to demand proof from the accused that the complainant is a criminal.
Johnson accused Dillon of allegedly escaping a summons by the court, claiming that the Montserrado County Senator has been avoiding being served the writ of attachment and summons by the court.
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Johnson lamented that it’s a bad precedent for Senator Dillon to be refusing to make himself available to the court to answer questions for the damages of slander and wrong.
Accompanied in court by his political leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga – Lawrence, Mr. Dillon described Cllr. Johnson is somebody who lacks comprehensive understanding of the interpretation of the law, adding that it’s time for the lawyer to prove all his claims in court.
On Monday, 31 January, Senator Dillon appeared at the Civil Law Court along with his lawyer Cllr. Augustine Fayiah to respond to the writ of attachment and summons issued against him by the court on the basis of a complaint filed by Mr. Bility.
Senator Dillon spent over one hour and thirty minutes in the Sheriff’s Office on the bench, negotiating with the court for his release because he did not have a required US$2m bond or property value of the bond to secure his release.
He was released based on personal recognizance but with a mandate that he reports to the court every day until he can secure or file his bond.
Dillon said he will report to the court every day until he secures a bond because he respects the law and he is willing to take advantage of the law and act in accordance with the court’s decision.
“Those statements that I made, we are in court now and trust me, this is the last bus stop. Let me make this clear, Musa Bility is not Liberty Party (LP) chairman and so let us not make this like its LP and BIlity, rather Dillon versus Musa Hassan Bility,” Dillon noted.
Last week, a faction of the opposition Liberty Party loyal to Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga – Lawrence expelled Mr. Bility, the embattled chair of the party.
The party said its Executive Council expelled Mr. Bility and Martin Saye Kollah, National Secretary General of LP.
According to LP, the decision was reached during the Party’s Special Session in the Port City of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County over the weekend.
A statement issued by the party said votes were taken by 28 delegates present, out of 44 total qualified delegates, consisting of the Political Leader, the National Chairman, the National Secretary-General, two former National Chairpersons, the Treasurer, members of the LP Legislative Caucus, all Vice-Chairpersons, ten Eminent Partisans/Stakeholders, County Chairpersons/Representatives, and a Diaspora Representative.
“I am a senator and this is a civil matter and I respected the court and came here and thereafter, all the other legal processes, constitutional privileges everything will be followed,” Dillon added.
“These are interesting times and trust me, Musa Bility steps on the last toes,’’ Dillon warned.
Speaking earlier after their conference at the Civil Law Court, Cllr. Arthur Johnson said Senator Dillon’s lawyer stood for himself to be released since he did not have a US$2m bond.
Johnson said the court has mandated Dillon to report to the court every day until he can file his bond.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/dillon-on-the-run/
