PHOTO: Anita David, aggrieved wife contending she’s not divorced
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF Justice, Monrovia- A legally married wife of Darlington David identified as Anita W. David has accused a court officer (Baliff), Sianeh Ayo Marsh, alias Ayo of the Criminal Court “C” of carrying out a fraudulent divorce between her and her husband without her knowledge.
Mrs. David said in an interview with Court Reporters that in May of 2016, Sianeh Marsh went to her house with a letter of consent concerning a divorce case with husband.
But the woman said that she told the court officer that she did not know of such divorce, though she had heard it in the breeze.
According to Mrs. David, after being informed about the letter of consent between her and her husband, she immediately contacted her Lawyer, Cllr. Jimmy Bombo for advice. But her lawyer told her not to sign any paper until it is done at the court on grounds that divorce can’t be done at home, but rather the court.
The since the court officer left from my house, I haven’t seen her but received a divorce paper sent to my brother through WhatsApp that my husband has divorce me when I went to attend my uncle burial in Guinea Anita David narrated.
Sianeh Marsh
She added that the court officer Sianeh Marsh alias Ayo’s signature was on the divorce paper including the Civil law court “A” clerk, Ellen Hall-Kamala without any of the lawyers from either party.
After the fraudulent divorce allegedly carried out by the court officer Sianeh Marsh, her lawyer Cllr. Jimmy Bombo took the complainant to the Sixth Judicial Civil law court A for a conference but both Sianeh Marsh and her husband failed to showed up twice and until the conference was held where Sianeh Marsh was asked to present the original copies of the divorce papers but she couldn’t produce any of it.
Mrs. David further explained that on May 29 this year, her husband, Darlington David got married to her fellow choir mate identified as Grace Sheriff in a church known as Covenant Ark in the Monrovia suburb of Kebah, Barnesville.
She said she and Grace Sheriff, who is now married to her husband, sang in the same choir in her church on the Duport Road in Paynesville. But when Grace wanted to carry out her deeds, she moved to Barnesville to marry to her husband, Mrs. David claimed.
However, on June 6, 2021, she went to the church where her husband got remarried to inquire from the church why they carried out such a wedding without doing background investigation, as she and her husband have not yet divorced.
But according to he, she was told by the mother to show proof that she was married to Darlington David, something she did by showing her wedding certificate and photos .
The church then told her that they would get back to her, but she said since then they are yet to do so.
Recently, a Writ of Summon was issued on Mr. Darlington David by the Paynesville Magisterial Court on charges of Bigamy and persistent nonsupport, but he is reportedly on the run.
Mrs. David she and husband has a girl child whom he allegedly abandoned when she was four years old and now the girl is 13 years old in the 9th grade. The child is expected to be writing the WASSCE exam this year but her mother says she is facing financially constraint and she has so far not been able to pay her school fee.s
She claimed that her signature put on the divorce paper was forged. She and her husband are said to have spent 16 years together prior to getting married in 2014.
Urges Civil Law Court to act
Mrs. David therefore, wants the Civil Law court to investigate Sianeh Marsh alias Ayo on how she carried the divorce between she and husband without her knowledge.
The lawyer whom Sianeh Marsh claimed to be Darlington David lawyer has denied his involvement into the illegal divorce and even threatened to file a complaint against her.
For her part, Sianeh Ayo Marsh said she knows Mr. Darlington David to be her friend, who said that he wanted to divorce and that she accompanied him to the Sixth Judicial Civil Law court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice and recommended someone to him.
Ms. Marsh, in an interview said that after she recommended someone from the Civil Law court, the next time she saw Darlington David, who informed her that he had started the divorce process but couldn’t complete the process due to financial difficulties. He said that he went out of town and asked her to be in communication with him while away.
Counter claim: Mrs. David herself signed the divorce paper
The court officer alleged that the married woman, Anita W. David herself signed her letter of consent at the Civil Law court.
After the divorce process was completed, Mr. Darlington David asked her to pick up his divorce documents while he was out of town, something she did, the court officer explained.
How her name managed to be on a divorce paper?
Sianeh Ayo Marsh also narrated that whenever one takes a document on behalf of someone to the court, you must sing for it. But she admitted going to Anita David house twice with a writ of summon along with another Baliff from the court.
Her signature is not on the original document but only the photo copy she did sign for, because she was asked by Mr. Darlington David to do so on his behalf, the court officer explained..
Meanwhile, Mrs. Anita David has filed a complaint to the office of Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor for redress.