BY: Shallon S. Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY — A 55-year-old Ex-magistrate of Zuolay Magisterial Court, Chester S. Paye has pleaded not guilty in open court to the charge alleging he raped a 12-year-old girl three years ago.
The Grand Jury of Nimba County sitting in its November Term, A.D. 2023 indicted Chester S. Paye for the commission of the crime of statutory rape, a first-degree felony, citing the unlawful and criminal act of defendant Paye is contrary to section 14.70 of the statutory laws of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
The rape charge is a class 1 felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Before his not-guilty plea, the Prosecution Counsel prays the court requesting the clerk of the court to read an indictment of the defendant to ascertain the plea of the defendant in the dock.
Ruling on the prosecution’s motion, the court granted the prosecution submission, ordering the clerk of court to read the indictment to ascertain the plea of Defendant Chester Paye, an indictment he responded not guilty.
According to the Criminal Procedure Law, a defendant not guilty plea to the indictment thereby joins the issue with the state, which the burden is on the accuser (Prosection) to produce witnesses to prove its case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt as provided by law.
Following the reading of the indictment, State Prosecutor, Joseph Suah filed a motion for a jury trial, praying the court for the selection of jurors as the trier of facts in the hearings, an application to which the defendant’s counsel interposed no objection.
The 55-year-old ex-magistrate currently incarcerated at the Sanniquellie Central prison is facing judgment due to his alleged raping of a 12-year-old manor.
On November 27, 2023, the ex-magistrate of Zuolay Magisterial Court situated in Lower Nimba County was arrested and forwarded to the Sexual Offenses Court in Sanniquellie for the commission of the crime of statutory rape in violation of Section 14.70 of the Penal Code.
Chester Paye was apprehended and taken into custody after the victim’s family members complained to the Tappita Police Station in Nimba, where he was charged, forwarded to court, and later remanded to the Sanniquellie Central Prison, where he awaits court trial.
Before the incident, the victim had been living with her aunt Rita Dahn, who happens to be the wife of Magistrate Chester Paye (the accused) since May 2023.
The 12-year-old victim explained that when her aunt left her in the care of Paye, he forced her to stay on the farm where he allegedly, sexually, and wickedly criminal intention abused her, threatening not to give her food, if she left the farm.
Obrasco Kartoe, father of the victim narrative reveals that during his visit to Zuolay town in September where the incident occurred, the 12-year-old minor greeted him and informed him how she had been sexually abused in Zuolay by Chester S. Paye on several occasions.
According to him, his daughter (the victim) disclosed that each time her aunt, Rita Dahn was out of the home, Paye would force her to have sex, which continued for a long time.
Medical report, accordingly indicates that the victim was abused sexually.
