Freedom For 52 Armed Robbers

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The Executive

Thursday, 05 July 2012 11:27

Written by Peter N. Toby

Criminal Court “D” at the Temple of Justice here Wednesday granted a motion to restore freedom to 52 suspected armed robbers who had been detained at the Monrovia central prison beyond statutory limits without indictment or trial.
Court documents revealed that Judge George S. Wiles granted a 5-count motion filed by legal counsel Momolu Kandakai of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission pleading for release of the defendants who have been in jail protractedly without indictment or trial.
Prior to the new motion filed by the JPC, Judge George S. Wiles released nine suspected armed robbers—David Porka, T-Boy Wright, Anthony Williams, Dabby Qonteh, Samuel Wleh, Junior David, Solomon Harris, Amah Tarah and John P. Massaley—on similar grounds. 
Judge Wiles described the failure on the part of the state to indict the suspects as complete violation of their constitutional rights in keeping with law.
He said the charges against the suspects were dismissed without prejudices to the state.
Section 18. 2 of the criminal law says: “Anyone that is accused of an indictable offense must be indicted and tried within two terms of court”.
The Liberian government in 2009 admitted indicting 100 people in pretrial detention but has done nothing to release or try them, that being a clear violation of the law.