-Says Gov. Lawyer Failed To Provide Sufficient Evidence
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Assigned Circuit Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court of River Gee, His Honor Wesseh Alphonsus Wesseh, has overturned and set aside the trial jurors’ unanimous guilty verdict of May 30, 2023, brought against five defendants, James Weah, Albert Weah, Pedesco Saywon, Charles Nyanti, and Suku Sherman, for murder and criminal conspiracy.
According to the records of the court, judge Wesseh overturned the jury’s guilty verdict on the grounds that the government of Liberia’s evidence brought against the defendants was insufficient to warrant their conviction.
The defendants indicted in Grand Kru County in April 2022 for allegedly kidnapping and murdering Madam Rachel Weah, who reportedly went missing in Boah Dwehken on April 1, 2022, were arrested by the police in the county.
The police arrested them for being in possession of a dry skeleton (bones and skull), which the police said was the human bones and skull of Madam Rachel Weah.
But according to Judge Wesseh, the government lawyer in the case did not provide the best evidence, like a forensic or DNA testing result that is linked to the missing woman, and has therefore been awarded a new trial in accordance with Section 22.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia and Section 25.6 of the Civil Procedure Law of Liberia.
Judge Wesseh’s action to overturn and set aside the unanimous guilty verdict of jurors came after the court heard argument in a seven-count motion for a new trial filed by the Defense’s lawyers, led by Cllr. Jerome C. Pour, challenging the juror’s unanimous guilty verdict against the defendants.
Meanwhile, the prosecuting lawyer, Atty. Fofie Kamara has accepted Judge Wesseh’s ruling and announced an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
