PHOTO; Convict Chiegbe (in handcuff) being escorted by a Correction Officer
By Never Garmah Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com from Fish Town, River Gee
The 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Liberia’s southeaster River Gee County has sentenced a 53-year-old rape Convict, David Klarkor Chiegbe to 16 years in jail for raping his 11-years-old neice in Webbo District RiverGee County.
The court, presided over by Resident Judge George W. Smith, rendered the judgement after Defendant Chiegbe pleaded guilty in open court to the crime of Statutory rape on November 19, 2020 over 517 kilometers from Monrovia.
According to the indictment, during the intervening hours on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, about 11:55am in the Webbo Kononwraken statutory District, RiverGee county, convict David Klarkor Chiegbe did purposely, knowingly, willfully, intentionally, wickedly, criminally and sexually abused the private prosecutrix, the 11years old victim after he entered the survivor father room unknowing to the survivor while she was at sleep and took off her under clothes and inserted his penis into her private part and sexually abused thereby committing the crime of statutory rape against the survivor.
The act of the convict occurred at the aforesaid time and place when the survivor and her brother were in the house, the convict came and asked for the survivor and her brother who ate the cold rice? The survivor answered: we are the one who ate the cold rice.
Convict Chiegbe, not been satisfied with the answer, got annoyed and took the rotting from the door started unmercifully beating the survivor and her brother but the brother of the survivor managed to escape from the convict, while the survivor ran in her father’s room crying but later felt at sleep, said the indictment.
The survivor told police Investigator that while in her uncle’s room, he took off her under clothes and inserted his penis in her private part, as she began shouting. Then her brother came and met convict David Klarkor Chiegbe over her having sexual intercourse with the survivor. After he was caught by the survivor’s brother, he (convict Chiegbe) mercilessly beat the mouth and penis of the survivor brother with pot top.
The 11 years old survivor was taken to the Fishtown referral hospital for medical examination where it was diagnosed by Health work that she was grossly tempered with after she bled profusely.
Moment after his sentence was announced, convict Chiegbe went fell and went unconscious for some minutes.
In another development, the court has also sentenced a 22-year-old man identified as Suluman Konneh to four (4) years for the crime of manslaughter.
Convict Konneh pleaded guilty to his crime in court after his indictment was read to him on November 19, 2020.
According to his indictment, on January 26, 2020, convict Konneh in the township of Fishtown, Glaro Administrative district, RiverGee county, did intentionally, purposely, knowingly, wickedly and criminally commit the crime of manslaughter when using a deadly instrument (knife) and stabbed the victim, Collins Teah two times on the left part of the chest thereby leaving him to bled profusely and died later.
That the criminal act of the defendant happened at that time and place when the convict without regards to some ground of men in a shop forcibly took their bottle of liquor from the table and drank some and placed same before them. The act of the convict led to serious altercation in which arguments and insults were exchanged between the group of men and the convict.
Thereafter, the convict Suluman Konneh left the scene and later returned with knife a deadly weapon and stabbed the deceased twice on the left chest leading to his death.
Furthermore, a 59-year-old murder Defendant identified as Moses Jasper, CKA Kamah was also sentenced to 12 years in jail, after he pleaded guilty when his indictment was read to him.
Count two of his indictment states that, Republic of Liberia complained and says that on August 13, 2019, during the intervening hours between 18-1900hrs or thereabout in a banana/plantain bush in the town of Yoploken Webbo statutory District, RiverGee county, the defendant Moses Jasper CKA Kamah purposely, knowingly, wickedly, unmercifully, intentionally and criminally murdered his nephew Prince Jasper with cutlass, butchered his body and threw it in the Gee river.
Plaintiff further complained and says that the deceased Prince Jasper left his home in Webbo Suaroken on the 13th day of August A.D. 2019 to visit a family farm in Yoploken but did not return and was not also seen for four days. The case was reported on 21st day of August A. D. 2019, to the town citizens.
Count six of his indictment further stated that convict Moses Jasper gave a revelation to the chiefs, elders and town citizens on August 13th, 2019, between 18-1900hrs, he saw the deceased Prince Jasper attempting to cut some of his plantain and when the deceased saw convict Moses Jasper, he started running away from him.
But he convict Jasper put up a Chase and caught up with victim Prince Jasper and chapped him with a cutlass for the first time, overpowered him and murder him and thereafter he butchered his body and placed it in the Gee river where the plantain farm is located.
That based upon the revelation and public confusion made by Moses Jasper group of citizens and peace Officers visited the crime scene saw the struggle mark took photos Moses Jasper was investigated and charged.
Meanwhile, the state was represented by Assistant Justice Minister for Litigation, Cllr. Wesseh A. Wesseh, while the Defendants were represented by office of the public defender Atty. Amos Nyenatoh and Jerome Pour.