PHOTO: (L-R) Late Journalist Brown and Convict Jonathan Williams
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia- The convicted murderer of a young Liberian Journalist, Tyron Browne, Jonathan Williams has been transferred from the Bomi County Central Prison to the Monrovia Central Prison to serve the rest of his life sentence, after repeated complaints of medical problem.
It is now known that convict Williams was transferred to the Monrovia Central Prison about a week ago due to his failing eye sight in Tubmanburg prison, nearly 71 kilometers west of Monrovia.
Journalist Browne of Super FM/TV in Monrovia was stabbed to death several times in the Duport Road, Paynesville suburb of Monrovia in 2018. And the trial first started at the Temple of Justice in the Liberian capital.
The convicted killer of young Journalist Browne was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in the Bomi County capital, Tubmanburg.
Judge Nancy Sammy announced the sentence several days after she handed down a guilty verdict for Williams, following ruling that the prosecution had provided convincing evidence to prove the crime of murder.
The Supreme Court therefore ruled granting the change of venue instead of Gbarpolu County as requested by the defense lawyers, it was transferred to Bomi County due to bad road and logistical constraints.
An authority of the Ministry of Justice has confirmed the transfer of Mr. Williams due to his poor health condition at the Bomi County Central Prison.
Convict Williams has been complaining of his eye sight, saying that he doesn’t see well and he is going blind due to lack of medical care in Bomi.
Now that he is in Monrovia, his lead lawyer, Cllr. Jallah Barbu said he is expected to shortly begin his eye treatment.
In July this year, Cllr. Barbu for Jonathan Williams, who is serving his jail sentencing, after being convicted of killing the young Liberian Journalist. He told reporters recently that his client is going blind behind bars, but the Tubmanburg Prison Superintendent disputed the claim.
The case was transferred to Bomi County based on change of venue motion filed by lawyers representing Jonathan Williams, Cllr. Jallah Barbu and Cllr. Jimmy Bombo, which is a right of any party
Cllr. Barbu told Journalists at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia late July that they have contacted two medical institutions for his medical test, and based upon the medical test, a medical procedure will be determined by medical practitioner.
But in a telephone interview at the time, the prison Superintendent of Tubmanburg in Bomi County, Jerome Doe confirmed that convict Williams has been complaining of his eye sight, but he was not going blind.
He said Mr. Williams usually went outside his prison cell and was outdoor on the compound and goes to bed in the evening hours.
Mr. Doe said for the convict to say that he going blind is an exaggeration, but confirmed that convict Williams has been talking about doing an eye test, which they are currently making arrangement for him to come to Monrovia for medical examination on his eyes.
Convict Williams’ lead lawyer told www.newspublictrust.com in July that they have exhausted all efforts to have the appeal case placed on the Supreme Court’s docket during the 2021, March A.D. term of court but to no avail.