S/Court throws out PUP chairman

The Chairman of the newly organized People’s Unification Party or PUP, Mr. Isobe Gborkorkollie, has been thrown out of the Supreme Court of Liberia and prohibited from returning there until an ongoing election case, which involves his candidate, was concluded.

Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr. gave the special instruction to the Supreme Court Marshall Monday, 19 January not to allow the PUP Chair to return after he appeared to have ignored his (Marshall’s) earlier instruction and walked to interact with his lawyer, Cllr. Albert Sims in the bar where prohibition against his party’s candidate Mr. James Tonolah’s certification was being heard.

The Supreme Court has been hearing arguments into writs of prohibition filed against the certification several senators- elect, including the PUP’s James Tonolah of Margibi County.

Both Senator-elect Tonolah and his contender from the main opposition party Congress for Democratic Change were earlier seated in court yesterday while their counsels argued the case.

But the drama started when Mr. Gborkorkollie drew the attention of the Justices after leaving his seat without permission from the Marshall and walked to the lawyer in the bar.

The PUP chair’s defiance to be seated despite the Marshall’s call appeared to have caused some distractions during the proceedings as he moved towards his lawyer while the Justices were posing questions and taking answers from counsels on both sides.

After Mr. Gborkorkollie’s interaction with Cllr. Sims, the Marshall asked his deputy to walk him out of the Supreme Court immediately. But more than that, the Chief Justice warned his lawyer Cllr. Sims that he and his client could be penalized if he did not control his client in court.

Following warnings to the lawyer, Chief Justice Korkpor instructed the Marshall not to allow the PUP chair to return at the high court for the hearing of the case.

While Gborkorkollie’s action could not be explained by his lawyer Cllr. Sims when he was engaged by reporters, the counsel additionally failed to disclose the name of the PUP chair on claims that he’s just a new person in the party.
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