PHOTO: Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokolie on Monday
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie has called on media practitioners and houses to do their report with facts, before publishing their reports in the newspapers and on taking to the airwaves.
Justice Wolokolie made reference to a several publications and broadcast by some media houses involving the Commercial Court Judge Eva Mappy Morgan, who is undergoing investigation for transgression errors in a case involving the Ducor Petroleum Company and the Monrovia Trading Company (MOTC).
It is alleged that Judge Mappy illegally withdrew millions of dollars from a joint account that she placed a stay order on, but later lifted the stay order allegedly in favour of (MOTC) in the absence of Ducor Petroleum Company of Amos Brochure.
Justice Wolokolie was speaking at the Temple of Justice on Monday, August 10, 2020 during the opening of the August Term of the Criminal Courts A, B, C, D and E.
According to the Liberian Associate, media houses owe an obligation to the nation and the Judiciary ‘to protect the integrity and peace and should stop writing negative stories’ that will scare people and make them loose confidence in the country’s Justice System.
Justice Wolokolie also told Judges to be open to the press whenever they (Judges) are accused in anyway.
To Journalists, she urged them to always learn to get the side of the other party before publishing articles or going on the air.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Justice of Liberia Francis S. Korkpor Sr., Associate Justice Wolokolie added that only party litigants and interested parties should be allowed in courts, in adherence to the Coronavirus protocol of Social Distancing—avoiding crowd.
The Associate Justice said negative publication or s in the media by Journalists about the judiciary has effect on the Justice system, thus making both local and International residents to loose respect for the judiciary.
She cautioned media houses to what she called, stop misleading the public with wrong information but do fact findings before doing any publication or going on the air.
In another development, Justice Wolokolie revealed that Judicial actors are currently holding discussions with the Public Health authorities, regarding how to conduct jury trial, because she said most Defendants or lawyers want jury trial for their clients who languishing behind bars.
Those behind bars have their right to be tried in court, she noted.
After the ongoing discussions with health authorities, members of the the Judiciary be informed about the decision reached, Justice Wolokolie said.
Meanwhile, the normal Judges charge was not delivered during the opening of the courts, due to observance of the COVID-19 protocols and not to keep people sitting for long.