-As Prosecution and Defense Lawyers battle for justice
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata Margibi County, Judge Mardea Chenoweth has granted Defendant Oliver P. Dillion bail in his ongoing murder trial, until the state is ready to continue the case.
The bail was granted on Thursday March 19, 2020.
Oliver Dillon, an employee of the Ministry of Transport, is brother of Monteserrado County Senator, Darius Dillon of the opposition Liberty Party.
Defendant Oliver Dillon allegedly killed Emmanuel Freeman Super market on the Somalia Drive in 2019 after he forgot his reading glasses, computer and cell phone in his vehicle, which was parked at the supermarket; when he confronted by three alleged criminals who have deadly weapons came rushing on him as he approached his vehicle.
The court said the criminal appearance Bond should be filed within 72 hours.
Judge Chenoweth disclosed that on 17 March 2020, the state filed a ten counts motion to recuse that is, for the judge to rescue herself from the ongoing trial and said motion was assigned for Wednesday, March 18, 2020 but on the same day, March 17, 2020, the court received an excuse from the Solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus and in that excuse, he requested for the motion of recusal to be heard on Thursday, March 19,2020.
The excuse which reads: Request for excuse, I respectfully request your honor to please grant me an excuse from the hearing of the motion to recuse filed by prosecution in the above title cause of action, which motion was assigned for hearing on Wednesday March 18, 2020.
The excuse says: “Kindly allow me to appear instead on Thursday, the 19th day of March 2020 and said request was based on the fact that he Solicitor General Cephus has matter (Appeal/petition for writ of Certiorari) pending before the Supreme court and assigned for the same date and time (Wednesday March 18, 2020) when the motion to rescue is scheduled to be heard.
Please see attached copy of reference citation from the Honorable Supreme court, Republic of Liberia, thank for your consideration and respectfully Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, solicitor general and chief prosecutor Ministry of Justice.”
The 13th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Chenoweth in Thursday’s ruling said, ‘they have come to court and the Solicitor General was not in court, neither did he send in any excuse or send any other lawyer from the Ministry of Justice to represent the Ministry of Justice.’
Judge Chenoweth said the Sheriff returns showed that both counsels signed the notice of assignment to be in court today and the time was five minutes after eleven and the Solicitor General was not around or nowhere to be seen.
She added that going through the case file, it has been shown on so many occasions that the state is not ready for the case. “The idea of the Solicitor General not giving the court any deference shows an affront to the court therefore since the Solicitor General is not here, neither did he send anybody, this court will new grant the defendant Oliver P. Dillion bill until the state is ready to prosecute the matter.”
The Clerk of the court was ordered to prepare the necessary document, that is the release for Defendant Oliver P. Dillion and place him into the hands of his lawyers.
However, both lawyers Cllr Alfred Sayeh and Augustine Toe and given seventy-two hours to prepare and present to the court a valid criminal appearance Bond on behalf of their client.
The Prosecution motion for judge Chenoweth to rescue herself, because she will not be neutral in the case due to threat and a news publication that she could put the Defendant on bail.
Prior to his arrest, defendant Oliver Dillon served as coordinator for decentralization for the Ministry of Transport.
The case transferred from Montserrado County to the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County on change of venue motion filed by state lawyers.
During the hearing of the case, state lawyers again requested Criminal Court ‘A’ judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to rescue himself something he did and transferred the matter to criminal court ‘B’, after which they asked for change of venue and it was granted.