VOINJAMA, Lofa. Liberia-The Resident Circuit Judge at the 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Voinjama has alarmed over the constant interference in criminal matters by traditional leaders in Lofa County.
Lofa is situated in northwestern Liberia on the borders with Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Delivering her charged at the opening of the August AD 2018 term of court in Voinjama City, Judge Nancy Finda Sammy Kparkillen disclosed that traditional leaders across the county continue to involve themselves into cases that are far from tradition and as such normally results to criminal matters being tampered with by these leaders.
In a number of incidents, the traditional/country devil had been unleashed on the town and defendants in court were taken away into the bush.
She said the act by these leaders in the county has the propensity to undermine the dispensation of justice and is completely unacceptable.
“Though some of these leaders act ignorantly, but we all know that ignorance of the law is no excuse and as such we all have our part to play,” she emphasized.
She wants traditional leaders handle civil and traditional matters and not matters that are committed criminally.
“For this August term of court, we have eleven cases on the trial docket seven of which are criminal, two civil cases, one appeal case and one summary proceeding.”
Judge Kparkillen also disclosed that there are a total of thirty one cases on the court’s docket for this August term.
She however cautioned magistrates at the various magisterial courts across the county to be dispense justice void of politics or personal interest to avoid bringing the courts to public reeducate.
For his part, Lofa County superintendent William Tamba Kamba expressed disappointment over the interference into criminal cases by some traditional leaders in the county.
Lof Superintendent Kamba
According to Superintendent Kamba, his administration will fully support the court in helping to educate the public on the danger in interfering into criminal matters and the legal procedure in seeking redressed.
“Let me also cautioned officials and members of the Lofa county Bar Association to get involved in the process of educating the public of these legal processes, Superintendent lamented.
He also called for the construction of additional prisons in Kolahun and in Zorzor respectively in order to reduce the tension at the voinjama central prison. Report by Tokpa Tarnue