Does The Church Still Have The Moral Authority?
PHOTO: Apostle Franklin Snortor, now Philadelphia Church new Bishop
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia- Without clearing his name over the alleged rape case against him, the Philadalphia Central Church in Congo town, Monrovia headed by Bishop George D. Harris on Saturday January 28,2023, ordained defendant Apostle Franklin Snortor as Bishop of the Philadelphia Church Ministry International in Kakata, Margibi County.
The Church without regard for justice and allowing the case to come a logical conclusion, went ahead to ordained one of their pastors as Bishop who is alleged to have raped a 21-year-old pregnant woman in Kakata in August of 2021. He was later released on bail on January 13, 2022.
The Church, who should have the moral authority or be the biggest promoter of Justice for all, has compromised this alleged rape case involving one of their clergyman, which many citizens in Kakata, Margibi County have condemned the church for.
Pastor Snorton, now Bishop of the Philadelphia Church in Kakata.
Rape is a capital offense and it is second degree felony in the Liberian new penal law of the Republic.
Snorton who is Senior Pastor of the Philadelphia Church and now Bishop was released on bail based on Chapter 13 section 13.1 of Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
This law states:
Capital offenses.
A person in custody for the commission of a capital offense shall, before conviction, be entitled as of right to be admitted to bail unless the proof is evident or the presumption great that he is guilty of the offense. On the hearing of an application for admission to bail made before indictment by a person in custody for the commission of a capital offense, the burden of showing that the proof is evident or the presumption great that he is guilty of the offense is on the Republic.
After indictment for such an offense, the burden is on the defendant to shown that the proof is not evident or the presumption not great. After conviction for a capital offense, no person shall be continued at large on bail or be admitted to bail except in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of this section.
Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, Yusuf D. Kaba has ruled against state lawyers’ writ of Certiorari filed on January 5,2022 against Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, that prevented the rape trial of a Philadelphia Church Senior Pastor from starting at the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata, Margibi County.
Justice Kaba on Monday, January 11, 2021 denied a change of venue motion filed by state prosecutors into Apostle Franklin Snorton’s alleged rape case.
Meanwhile, the assigned Judge, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay Gbeisay is expected to consolidate and ruled into the two motions filed the state lawyers.
State lawyers filed motion for change of venue and motion for he (judge Gbeisay) to recuse himself from the case and is expected that he might recuse himself.
The Supreme Court justice in chambers, Yusuf D. Kaba on Monday, January 10,2022 ruled against state lawyers’ writ of Certiorari filed on January 5,2022 against Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay after he denied a change of venue motion filed by the state prosecutors into the Philidalphia church pastor Apostle Franklin Snorton alleged rape case.
The chambers Justice denied the writ of Certiorari on ground that it has no merit and the case is ordered proceeded with at the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata Margibi County.
At the call of the case on January 4,2022, state prosecutor, Assistant County Attorney Masayan Matthew prayed court for continuance and to have the case postpone for Wednesday January 5,2022 but at the call of the case on Wednesday January 5,2022, the assistant county attorney filed a motion for Atty. Matthew to recuse himself from the case.
Atty. Matthew’s motion to recuse himself came the result that he was being accused by his senior colleague the County Attorney, Deddeh Joma Wilson on ground the he has interest in the case and said motion was granted by the court presided by its assigned Judge Gbeisay.
On Wednesday January 5, 2022, at the call of the case, County Attorney Deddeh Joma Wilson filed a submission for the court to grant another continuance into the case because it material witnesses will not be available for the trial during the week. This is because most of its material and express witnesses are outside of the bailiwick of Margibi County seeking medication and handling other personal issues.
The Margibi County Attorney further stated that because the testimonies of those witnesses are very important and therefore she can’t proceed with the case without the presence of those witnesses and some have felt threatened if the case is being held in Margibi County.
She added that her request for continuance was not made not made in faith neither to baffled justice but to give state prosecutors the opportunity to have its important witnesses.
In view of the fact and circumstances, mentioned above in accordance with law, it will provide it material witnesses and prayed court to grant it request and all other relief just as aquitable.
In in resisting the submission filed state prosecutor, defense lawyer Albert Sim said, the submission filed has no support in law and in fact Chapter 21 section 21.5 of the Civil procedure law which is applicable in this case and it said no postponement shall be made to obtain witnesses unless it assumed the satisfaction of the court and proper due diligence that the testimonies will be material relevant and competent.
Defense lawyer Cllr. Sim added that the application made by the County Attorney fall short of the requirements under the statute.
Cllr. Sim argued that state prosecutor to come and ask for similar purpose requesting another continuance for the same material witnesses is highly contemptuous and the county attorney should be held in contempt.
The defense lawyer Cllr. Sim narrated that the conduct of the County Attorney is in attempt to belittle the court and added that the recourse of the record, the defendant was arrested and indicted in August and jailed. And since then, he has been detained at the Kakata Central prison in Margibi County, thus denying him the right to free movement as guarantee by the constitution.
He said Article 21 (E) of the 1986 constitution of Liberia provides that an accused person accused of committing a crime shall be entitled to a speedy trial.
According to him, since the defendant was arrested and incarcerated in August of last year, state prosecutors have taken no step to have the defendant tried, according to law.
Cllr. Sims maintained that the application made by the state prosecutor is diatory tactics and intended to keep the defendant in jail to satisfaction of the prosecution and prosecution has shown no effort in producing their witnesses.
Based on the above, fact and circumstances, defense counsel prayed court to deny and dismiss the legally wanting and unmeraculeous submission made by the state and order the case proceeded with.
Ruling into the submission made by the County, Judge Gbeisay said under our law when witnesses are not available, the law requires a party to do due diligence and the Supreme Court of Liberia has said that due diligence means when the party is having problem to have its witnesses in county, that party should apply to the court for subpoena.
Judge Gbeisay added that the court record revealed that no such request has been made by prosecution and the court said the submission filed by state prosecutor was made in bad faith clearly calculated to prevent the case from going to trial.
He disclosed that the crime for which the defendant in dock was indicted was committed in Margibi County and that the victim who is obviously first witness resides in the same county and the police who did the investigation and forwarded the matter to court resides in the same Margibi County and regularly employed by the government of Liberia and paid to appear in court and testify.
Also the medical examiner who did the examination on the victim also resides in Margibi County or the nearby county who are also on payroll to appear in court and testify.
So to say that prosecution witnesses are outside the bailiwick of the court is totally misleading and the essence of court is to find the truth and to administer justice and punish those who commit crime against the state.
The assigned Judge Gbeisay indicated that the office of the prosecution is to prosecute and not to persecute and it appear to the court that prosecution is only interested in having the defendant incarcerated continuously but is not interested in timely prosecution. To have any citizen in jail for one day when the case can be tried in one day is sign of persecution and not to prosecute.
According to Judge Gbeisay, in the mind of the court be it prosecution, defense or the judge, all are arm of Justice in the administration of justice and shall do all in our power to ensure that justice is done.
So to employ dilatory tactic to prolong the detention of an accused is unjust and the court said, the law does not support the motion filed and facts that does not support the motion.
However, be that it may, the court wonders again to bend over and let the record show that the defendant in the dock may or may not be guilty but the crime for which the defendant was charged is a felony of the second degree that is to say a rape between an adult and another adult which is bailiwick.
To deny the defendant of the bail and at the same time refuse to go to trial in the mind of this court as indicated on January 4,2022, is an abuse of the right of that citizen and the court is the vacunm of hope for making should not in any manner or form abuse the right of our citizen.
The court is under duty to ensure that all case appearing before it, especially those case when the defendant are in pre-tried detention should be tried speedily backward to grant this prosecution motion against the modification that this matter is reassigned for tomorrow which is on the 6th of January 2022 at 9am failure or the part of any party to proceed to trial, the court shall proceed according to law.