PHOTO: Sen Dillon flanked by his supporters including embattled LP Political Leader, Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence outside the court
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The sixth Judicial Civil Law court A at the Temple of Justice presided over by its residence Judge J. Kennedy Peabody today, January 31,2022, granted a promissory note, releasing Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County to his lawyer.
Both Bility and Sen. Dillon are executives of the fractured opposition Liberty Party (LP) of the late Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine. Dillon had branded Bility a criminal and fraudsters.
Sen. Dillon’s Lawyer, Cllr. Augustine Fayiah took custody of him on personal Recognizance.
Personal recognizance means, a release without the requirement of a posting bail bond on a written promise by the defendant to appear in court when required to do so.
The promissory note reads:
“I Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah do hereby promised to ensure that senator Abraham Darius Dillon, senator of Montserrado County on a daily basis at the hour of 10:30am before His Honor J. Kennedy Peabody, resident Assigned Circuit judge of the Civil law court until the defendant Senator Dillon can file a valid bond in respond to an action of Damages for wrong for libel and slander by Attachment filed by the plaintiff Musa Hassan Bility.
For so doing, this shall constitute the sufficient legal authority for the court to proceed against the defendant, Dillon should there be any lack of compliance on his part or surety.”
The promissory note was signed by Mark Korda, John O. F. Kangbeh and approved by J. Kennedy Peabody.
For his part, Montserrado County Sen.Dillon said that the legal battle against him will be taken very serious and he will to see that said matter will reach its logical conclusion.
He added that this is the last person Musa Bility has stepped on his toes and will put his senatorial job aside and fight his legal battle.
Sen. Dillon was escorted by his supporters and Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence of Grand Bassa County.
Background
Many observers think that the internal conflict within the opposition Liberty Party is now settling but things seem to be badly falling apart by the day, in the wake of the crumbling of the four-party Collaborating Political Parties (CPP).
This latest court action comes after the Political leader of the All Liberian Party (ALP) Benoni Urey filed a law suit against the Alternative National Congress leader Mr. Alexander Cummings for alleged forgery and criminal conspiracy over the CPP framework document.
Now, the law suit vessel has now dock in the Liberty Party with it Chairman Musa Bility dragging a senior member and senator of Montserrado County Abraham Darius Dillon to the Sixth Judicial Civil Law court at the Temple of Justice presided by its residence Judge J. Kennedy Peabody for Action of Damages for Wrong and Slander by Attachment.
Complainant Bility has filed a one million US dollars law suit against Senator Dillon, CPP-Montserrado County for the crimes mentioned above.
In a ten-count complaint filed by business man and Liberty Chairman Bility prayed court to adjudged the defendant Abraham Darius Dillon liable to plaintiff, grant plaintiff’s complaint and award damages to plaintiff in an amount not less than USD 1,000,000.00(one million United States dollars) in General damages to be decided by the trial jury for the following factual and legal reasons as showeth to writ.
That plaintiff avers that he is a respected member of the Liberian society who has worked very hard and as a result has gained accolades both nationally and internationally as a businessman and political leader.
The Plaintiff further says that he has earned for himself attractive historical credentials and reputation by being known as a person of high esteem in his community and the Republic of Liberia generally characterized as a man of substance with the dignity of labor from the most sublime and noble.
Holding to these attractive credentials and values in his society, plaintiff was elected by his community and political party, the Liberty Party to serve as chairman a political decision that the within named defendant Dillon participated in, agreed to and supported.
Count two of his complaint says that Sen. Dillon of Montserrado County is a suspended member of the Liberty Party, a serving senator of the Liberian National Legislature representing the County of Montserrado County Republic of Liberia.
Notwithstanding, the public position of honor he holds as senator, defendant commonly known and referred to as senator Abraham Darius Dillon purposely, recklessly and with malicious mind and intent, exercising no scintilla of decency for the truth, cherished social and values as well as basic ethics governing honorable men and women occupying the seat of Honor in the National Legislature, has engaged in a wicked campaign to malign, defame and tarnished the good name and reputation of the plaintiff through blackmails and stigmatization through electronic, print and social media outlets.
Plaintiff submits that the sole purpose of defendant’s slanderous utterances and libelous publications are to and have indeed denigrated and stigmatized plaintiff’s honour, reputation and prestige in the eyes of plaintiff’s thousands of public admirers, peers, friends, relatives, followers and the world at large.
Defendant Dillon has intentionally with malice aforethought, recklessly engaged in a campaign of slanderous utterances against plaintiff on radio talk shows and in publications libelous in newspapers and other media outlets.
The court record added that the plaintiff has slandered plaintiff on radio talk shows, published defamatory statements in newspapers publications and other media outlets adding that the defendants in slanderous utterances and libelous publications in the public domain have been listened to and read locally and on the international network and internet by millions of people all over the world.
Defendant Dillons’s alleged slanderous malicious utterances and libelous publications include calling plaintiff Musa Bility criminal and fraudster.
Count four says plaintiff submits that sometime in last year, between November and December A.D. 2021, and January 15,2022, plaintiff became a target of blackmail, libel, slander malicious stigmatization on social media purely found on the pillar of political agenda and ill will and lies against his good name and reputation when defendant Dillon accused him of being a criminal and fraudster.
The plaintiff made mention of the YouTube link on Spoon tv recording of defendant Dillon defaming the reputation of the plaintiff Bility to found a material and integral part of the complaint.
Plaintiff says the purpose of such devilish and libelous action was solely intended to defame and tarnish the reputation of plaintiff thereby negatively tainting, staining and fouling plaintiff’s political and business standing and career both within and without the Republic of Liberia.
To count five of the complaint, plaintiff says that defendant in social, electronic and print media publications decided to carry individual stories of fraudster and criminality allegations against plaintiff accounts which are characterized by falsehood and lacking any factual sufficiency. The plaintiff also gives notice to court that during the proceedings, he will cause issuance of the writs of Subpoena Dues Tecum and Ad testificadum to be served on the print media Front Page, OK FM and other media entities which carried and published defendants libelous publications and statements against the plaintiff.
Plaintiff maintained that specifically on December 9,2021, defendant Dillon defamed his character in the Front Page Africa newspaper by saying “Musa Bility is a criminal-I can prove it”.
Defendant further indicated that LP went to a conflict resolution hearing and Musa Bility signed the document confessing that he criminally altered the constitution of the Liberty Party to shift authority that was not granted with them. Also in defendant’s libelous statement against plaintiff, defendant published his statement “These averments and assertions are untrue and unfounded and intended solely to defame, tarnish and destroy plaintiff’s good name and reputation.
Under the circumstances herein narrated, plaintiff says that damages for wrong predicated on libel and slander shall lie against defendant Dillon.
Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, plaintiff prayed court to grant plaintiff’s complaint and prayer for damages against the defendant in the amount not less that US$1m in General damages to be decided by the trial jury during the court proceedings and grant plaintiff’s all other reliefs that will deem, legal and equitable.
Meanwhile, the Civil Law Court “A” presided over by resident Circuit Judge ,J. Kennedy Peabody has also issued a writ of summon on the Montserrado County senator Abraham Darius Dillon for the crimes mentioned above to appear before the sixth Judicial Civil Law court at the Temple of Justice.
The Court is to convene on the 21st day of March A.D. 2022 at the hour of 10am to answer to the complaint of the above mentioned named plaintiff in an Action of Damages for wrong for libel and slander by Attachment; that upon his failure to appear, judgement by default will be rendered against him.