By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia–There was a seen of excitement at the Temple on yesterday, Wednesday, April 17, 2025, when 19 alleged criminals were released from pretrial detention from the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) due to the Liberian government’s failure to prosecute them.
The inmates were seen jubilating and praising God for bringing them out of prison. But report says state prosecutors are taking exception to the freeing of the inmates by Judge Roozevelt Z. Willie.
The defendants are to include Isach Obediah, Levi Perry, Singbeh Sackie, Sam Johnson, Fobah Jallah, Morris Tucker, Junior Tarpeh, Michael Kollie, Joshua Duyan, Gerald Nyanason, Smith Miller, Teekegar Mulbah, G. Othello Nehyalor, Momo Manjo, Abdullah Kromah, Victor Manneh, Moses Dayougar, Mohammed Barrie and Abraham Kromah.
Judge Willie released the inmates from detention of the crimes ranging from Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Manslaughter, Arson, Murder, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder.
They were brought to the court after overstaying pretrial detention period at the prison facility, some up to nine years, on allegations of criminal charges.
Judge Willie on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, released 17 inmates (first batch of over 100) upon government’s failure to prosecute.
They were also seen jubilating and offering praises to God when brought from prison to the court with their bundles of loads.
During the charge, Judge Willie told the suspects that they were not freed because the crimes were not committed but due to failure to prosecute them as charged.
Judge Willie said if any of the suspects commits crime and is brought back to the court, he or she will have themselves to blame, as he told them to go and sin no more.
Judge Willie after, instructed the Clerk of Court J. Gabriel Smith, to take their personal information to include address, phone numbers, among others.
The 17 inmates released from South Beach are Diana Walter, Andrew Williams, James Walker, Momo Kanneh, Tonny Boimah, Samuel Poka, Daniel Kennedy, Daniel Williams, Papay Kennedy, Ernest P. Vandy, Perry Kpor, Joe William, Josiah Jeboe, Daddyboy Johnson, David Toe, Abraham Watson and others.
Persons released were charged with different crimes ranging from Murder to Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Arson, Manslaughter, and Criminal Conspiracy, amongst other criminal offenses. On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Judge Willie ordered the release of over 100 inmates from detention at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) based upon a motion filed by the defense lawyers.
Judge Willie’s decision is a result of a motion for dismissal filed by the defense team led by Cllrs. Sennay Carlor, II, and consolidated by Aloysius Toe from the Public Interest Advocacy Center against 111 inmates who had been incarcerated from August 2017 till April 8, 2025, and are yet to be indicted by the Government.
The Judge ruled that out of the 111 inmates, 106 would be segmentally released while five persons were dropped from the list based on an indictment already drawn against by the government through the Grand Jury before the filing of the motion.
Defense lawyers’ consolidated motion for dismissal prayed Judge Willie to dismiss the allegations or charges against the inmates for failure to proceed with trial. Cllrs. Carlor II and Toe relied on Article 21 (F) & (H) of the 1986 Constitution and Section 18.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
The defense’s five-count motion stated that all defendants are citizens of Liberia who were arrested on diverse dates by the Liberia National Police (LNP) on various allegations and are currently incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach).
Carlor II, who is the lead lawyer for the defense team, said since the arrest of the defendants by the police, the government has failed, refused, and neglected to form indictments against them as required by Chapter 14, Section 14.3 (1)(a, b, c)-form of Indictment of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Code.
They requested that the Judge under Section 18.2 of Title 2 of the Criminal Procedure Law to dismiss the criminal complaints pending against the inmates and grant their immediate release from their unlawful and prolonged pre-trial incarceration at the Monrovia Central Prison.
Also, Councilors Carlor and Toe want Judge Willie to require the prosecution to demonstrate “Good Cause” through the presentation of sworn testimony and or other competent evidence, the veracity of which the defendants may test through cross-examination.
The defense lawyers prayed the court to schedule expedited evidentiary hearings on all issues raised by the motion; as such, the Judge should grant any other relief as is just and equitable. However, the Government of Liberia has resisted the motion.