Amid Rise In The Number Of Pre-Trial Detainees Across Liberia
Judge Roosevelt Willie Says They Were Freed Because Of Government’s Failure To Proceed With Trial
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- After overstaying at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) for more than six to nine years without being tried, 17 inmates have been freed from the Monrovia Central Prison at South Beach upon the order of the Judge of Criminal Court “A”, Roosevelt Z. Willie.
Human rights groups and other legal experts say prisons and other detention facilities across Liberia are filled with hundreds of pre-trial detainees, many of whom have been languishing in prison for several months and years.
Some those freed by the Criminal Court “A” were jailed for alleged criminal charges without any indictment by the Government, Judge Willie said on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, when he ordered the release of the first batch of inmates, totaling 17 who had been incarcerated based on the government’s failure to proceed with trial.
The suspects were seen rejoicing and praising God, when they were brought from prison to the court carrying their bundles of personal belonging, following the ruling by the Judge.
In declaring them free, Judge Willie told the suspects that they were not freed because the crimes were not committed but due to government failure to proceed or prosecute them as been charged.
Judge Willie said if any of the suspects commit crime and are brought back to the court, he or she will have themselves to blame, urgint them to “go and sin no more”.
The Criminal Court “A” Judge later instructed the Clerk of Court J. Gabriel Smith to take their personal information to include address, phone numbers and among others.
The 17 inmates released from South Beach are Diana Walter, Andrew Williams, James Walker, Momo Kanneh, Tonny Boimah, Samuel Poka, Daniel Kennedy, Daniel Williams, Papay Kennedy, Ernest P. Vandy, Perry Kpor, Joe William, Josiah Jeboe, Daddyboy Johnson, David Toe, Abraham Watson and others.
Those released were charged with different crimes ranging from Murder to Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Arson, Manslaughter, and Criminal Conspiracy, amongst other criminal offenses.
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Judge Willie ordered the release of over 100 inmates from detention at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) based upon a motion filed by the defense lawyers.
Judge Willie’s decision is a result of a motion for dismissal filed by the defense team led by Cllrs. Sennay Carlor, II, and consolidated by Aloysius Toe from the Public Interest Advocacy Center against 111 inmates who had been incarcerated from August 2017 till April 8, 2025, and are yet to be indicted by the Government.
The Judge ruled that out of the 111 inmates, 106 would be segmentally released while five persons were dropped from the list based on an indictment already drawn against by the government through the Grand Jury before the filing of the motion.
Defense Lawyers consolidated motion
Defense lawyers’ consolidated motion for dismissal prayed Judge Willie to dismiss the allegations or charges against the inmates for failure to proceed with trial.
Cllrs. Carlor II and Toe relied on Article 21 (F) & (H) of the 1986 Constitution and Section 18.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
The defense’s five-count motion stated that all defendants are citizens of Liberia who were arrested on diverse dates by the Liberia National Police (LNP) on various allegations and are currently incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach).
Carlor II, who is the lead lawyer for the defense team, said since the arrest of the defendants by the police, the government has failed, refused, and neglected to form indictments against them as required by Chapter 14, Section 14.3 (1) (a, b, c)-form of Indictment of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Code.
They requested that the Judge under Section 18.2 of Title 2 of the Criminal Procedure Law to dismiss the criminal complaints pending against the inmates and grant their immediate release from their unlawful and prolonged pre-trial incarceration at the Monrovia Central Prison.
Also, Councilors Carlor and Toe want Judge Willie to require the prosecution to demonstrate “Good Cause” through the presentation of sworn testimony and or other competent evidence, the veracity of which the defendants may test through cross-examination.
The defense lawyers prayed the court to schedule expedited evidentiary hearings on all issues raised by the motion; as such, the Judge should grant any other relief as is just and equitable.