This paper has reliably learnt that Liberia’s Solicitor General Saymah Syrenius Cephas has filed papers before the Supreme Court of Liberia in the case brought against Mr. Oliver Dillon for an alleged murder, raising a question if the government wants the re-arrest of the accused.
This paper has made an inquiry with an authority at the Judiciary for this story, and it was confirmed that the State has filed some papers regarding the case.The government here charged Mr. Dillon, an employee of the Ministry of Transport’s Coordinator for Decentralization for the alleged murder of one Emmanuel Koffa, Jr., which occurred on 12 April, 2019 in Gardnerville.
On 18 November 2019, Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie recused himself from the alleged murder trial of Mr. Oliver Dillon, the brother of opposition Montserrado County Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon, insisting that the “court cannot change its view” that the elements for murder were not present [in the case].
The police reported that the incident scene was infested with criminal gangs who rain terror on peaceful residents to take away their belongings, and also indicated that “there is no history of quarrel or misunderstanding between the victim [Emmanuel] and accused [Dillon] and there was no arrangement for them to meet at the place of the incident.”
In a murder case investigators seek to establish that the accused had planned with malice and criminal intent to take the life of another person prior to the killing of that person as a reason for levying a murder charge which carries maximum penalty of death or life time imprisonment upon conviction.
The judge said despite prosecution’s resistance, he granted defendant Dillon bail “because in the mind of the court the critical elements of murder did not exist which are premeditation and malice afford thought.”
Last year Judge Willie said after he granted defendant Dillon bail due to his determination that the elements for murder did not exist in the case, the prosecution, however, took him on certiorari before Justice in Chambers Joseph N. Nagbe who subsequently reversed his (Willie’s) decision of granting Dillon the bail.
The Justice in Chambers, Associate Justice Nagbe then ordered that the case be sent back to Court “A” for trial, following which the prosecution demanded Judge Willie’s recusal.
By Winston W. Parley
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