As This Facility Hosts 204 Pre-Trial Detainees And 74 Convicts
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia: Darkness has engulfed the Gbarnga Central Prison as the chief of records calls for quick intervention in this central city situated 198 kilometers from Monrovia.
The management of the Gbarnga Central Prison is facing serious electricity issues, stating that the facility has been abandoned, according to Emmanuel Duo of the prison facility.
He stated that they have called on leaders in the county to help address the situation, but their call isn’t gaining any fruitful result.
Mr. Dou noted that the need to help address some of the looming challenges affecting the smooth operation of the facility cannot be over emphasized.
Currently, the dark prison facility hosts 280 inmates- more than twice of the number intended for the facility.
Of the number, he notes that 76 are convicts while 204 are pre-trial detainees.
Mr. Emmanuel Dou also called on the court and lawyers to fast track the trail of these pretrial detainees.
He then called on citizens in Bong County to regularly visit the Gbarnga Central Prison to acquaint themselves with some of the challenges.
Our reporter who toured the facility observed that the Gbarnga Central Prison isn’t connected to the Jungle Energy Power (JEP) grid.
The JEP grid, a private company, supplies electricity to households and businesses including institutions in Bong and Nimba counties.
Besides, the Gbarnga Central Prison’s paints are weary; prompting the need for renovation.
He spoke during the official opening of the May A.D 2023 term of Court in the central city of Gbarnga.
Sexual Offense Court opens
In a related development, the 9tha Judicial Circuit and the Sexual Offenses courts have opened for the May A.D. term of court, in line with the judicial canal of Liberia.
According to chapter 3.8 section one of the judicial law of Liberia, each judicial circuit should meet four times a year in quarterly sessions and open on the second Monday of February, May, August and November terms of each year, except the sixth judicial Circuit that opens on the Third Monday in March, June, September and December.
“Ihe quarterly sessions of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninh, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and the Fourteenth circuits shall be entitled the February, May, August and November sessions while the quarterly sessions of the sixth judicial circuit shall be entitled the March, June, September and December sessions,” according to Chapter 3.8, section one of the judicial law.
Delivering his charge, the assigned judge at Criminal Court “E” Cllr. Cornelius Flomo Wennah called on prosecutors, and public defenders to have a full understanding of the law before pursuing a case.
“As a lawyer and prosecutor, you have to be studious. It will help you to further push and win your case,” he urged judicial actors.
He admonished judges to review their case files regularly and other acquaintances while dispensing justices.
“Prosecutors will have to be meticulous enough to know what complain have been brought to them. They have to know how genuine are those complaints before drawing a writ drawn on account of that” His honor Wenneh told the opening of the court on Monday.
Also speaking at the occasion, the President of the Bong County Local Bar Association, Cllr. Kulah Jackson called on lawyers to be focused in the discharge of their duty during the ongoing electioneering period.
At the same time, Gbarnga City Mayor Lucia Herbert has called on the Liberia land authority to work in line with the City Corporation on any surveying order.