PHOTO: All three defendants being led out of the Criminal court
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The main defendant who planned the killing of former Liberian President Williams V.S. Tubman’s son, John H. Tubman today, Tuesday, June 21,2022, pleaded guilty, after his indictment was read to him at Criminal Court A.
Main defendant Christian Byron Anderson pleaded guilty in this court presided over by its resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, while state prosecutors nulle prosequa (dropped) charges in favor of the two other defendants–Emmanuel Forkey and Aloysius Garblah who will testify on behalf of the state in the killing of the late President’s son, John H. Tubman.
The three individuals were indicted during the February A.D 2022 term of court for the crimes of murder, theft of property and criminal conspiracy, after Tubman’s murder at his home in Fiamah, Sinkor in Monrovia.
Aloysius Garblah is a juvenile and by law he can’t be tried until he reaches the age of 18.
The state prosecutors said their action to drop charges against the two defendants is based on information gathered that the two defendants didn’t participate in the commission of the crime.
The defense lawyers headed by Cllr. Jimmy Bombo interposed no objection to the two defendants who charges were dropped.
The state acted in line with Chapter 18.1 of the Criminal procedure law which states
18.1. Dismissal by prosecuting attorney.
The prosecuting attorney may by leave of court file a dismissal of an indictment or complaint or of a count contained therein as to either all or some of the defendants. The prosecution shall thereupon terminate to the extent indicated in the dismissal., a
Despite his guilty pleas, the court set aside his guilty plea because murder is a first degree felony with a punishment of life imprisonment or death by hanging judge Willie ordered state prosecutors to proceed with the matter in order to prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt.
The trial is a jury trial slated for June 23,2022 where state prosecutors are expected to produce witnesses against the lone defendant Anderson.
The state was represented by Cllr. Wilfred Sayeh, Cllr. Augustine Toe, Cllr. Aloysius Allison, Atty. Masayan Matthews and Sumo C. Aquoi, while defendants Aloysius Garblah and Emmanuel Forkey were represented by Jimmy Bombo. Christian Byron Anderson is being represented office of the Public Defender.
Background
The numerous killings of high profile personalities and other individuals have in recent times given grounds to fears of rise in insecurity amongst citizens.
This has been since the mysterious deaths two LRA employees- Gifty Lamah and Albert Peters who were found dead in a parked vehicle up Broad Street and Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua, who was also discovered dead at his residence on October 2 and 10, 2020, respectively as well as another LRA employee.
Anxiety even increased after those mysterious deaths, when President George Manneh Weah stated that every citizen should be their own security by purchasing CCTV camera. But that brought criticisms as to how many Liberians can afford that.
That followed a wave of mysterious deaths and ritualistic murders, with the most recent being what are alleged to be the killings of the sons of two former Liberian Presidents—William V.S. Tubman and William R. Tolbert, Jr. died both on September 22 and November 2, 2021, respectively. They are John Hillary Tubman and the Rev. William R. Tolbert, III who was the Peace Ambassador of Liberia until his death.
Now, Police in Monrovia have arrested, investigated, charged and sent to court three alleged murderers of one of them—John Hilary Tubman, as Garmah Never Lomo reports.
Police charged the three men with murder, criminal conspiracy, theft of property and Criminal solicitation in violation of Chapter 14 section 14.1, Chapter 15, section section 15.51, Chapter 10, section 10.4 and Chapter 10 section 10.3 of the revised penal law of Liberia.
The entire murder operation was planned by Christian Byron Anderson former painter of John Hilary Tubman.
According to police charge sheet, on November 15, 2021, defendant Christian Byron Anderson was at Sand Beach in Rivercess county and acquainted with his constitutional rights and duly charged with the commission of the crime murder, criminal conspiracy, theft of property and criminal solicitation based upon his criminal complicity involvement as mentioned below.
That prior to Wednesday, September 22,2021, defendants Christian Byron Anderson, Aloysius Garblah and Emmanuel M. Forkey met at Rehab community, paynesville where they held a discussion to attack and take away unspecified amount of cash from the deceased(John Tubman) whom defendant Anderson once worked for as painter at his residence in Fiamah, Sinkor.
As a result of the herein named defendants planned criminal action as stated above on Tuesday September 21,2021, at about 4:00pm or thereabout left their residence and went to Fiamah, Sinkor to execute their plan attack.
When the defendants Anderson, Garblah and Forkey arrived at Fiamah, Sinkor, they purchased a robe to tie the deceased John H. Tubman feet the police investigation narrated.
Additionally, in order to gain entry to the victim’s compound without him knowing that there were intruders, the defendant brought some quantity of snuff/tobacco and mixed it with some pieces of sausages before defendant Christian Byron Anderson provided it to the dogs in the victim’s compound.
The police charge sheet scores as saying, at about 8:00pm or thereabout, defendants Anderson, Garblah and Forkey surreptitiously entered the victim’s (John Tubman) compound and defendant Anderson opened one of the two gates to the down stairs compartment of the house where they passed to gain access to the down stairs portion of the building.
The defendants remained at the down stairs component/ segment of the house until the deceased (John Tubman) after 9pm or thereabout got outside of his house to lock the main gate that allows entry to the compound.
While he was outside, defendant Anderson removed a piece of plywood that covers the steps made out of planks within the house that allows movement of persons from upstairs to the down stairs compartment or otherwise from downstairs compartment to upstairs.
Upon removing the plywood, the defendants hurriedly proceeded upstairs before defendant Anderson instructed his two co-defendants Garblah and Forkey to remain seated in one of the empty rooms while he defendant Anderson roamed around within the house, monitoring the retuned of the deceased (John Tubman) back into the house.
Narrating further, the police charge sheet revealed that when the deceased returned, into his house, he proceeded to his dinning room table where he ate and thereafter, he moved to one of his living chairs to relax and started to play music. While all of these processes were ongoing, defendant Anderson kept provide his two colleagues updates to the deceased Tubman movements and when it was after 12am or thereabout, on Tuesday September 21,2021, the deceased Tubman went into his room and lied down on his bed and began watching movie on his cell phone until he felt asleep.
Accordingly, at about 2am or thereabout, on Wednesday 22,2021, defendants Anderson informed Garblah and Forkey that the deceased had fallen to sleep and since they were already inside the deceased house, they moved into his room and defendant Anderson took one of the deceased pillows and covered his face before pulling him on the floor.
While, the deceased was on the floor, the defendants tried to tie his feet but the rope which they earlier bought for their devilish mission could not serve their purpose as such; defendant Anderson held firmly on the deceased neck while Garblah held his two hands and Forkey held his legs.
The police charge sheet revealed that while the deceased was on the floor tussling with the defendants, he recognized defendant Christian Byron Anderson and in the process,
“He uttered, Byron Please don’t kill me, if you want money, I will give you it, the money is in office downstairs”.
At this juncture, Garblah and Forkey intimated to defendant Anderson that they should receive the money and go but defendant Anderson insisted that they should not leave the deceased as such he defendant Anderson continued holding the deceased neck firmly with one of his hands while using his other hands to punch the deceased on his head.
As for Aloysius Garblah, he used the flat portion of a cutlass he got from the house to assault the deceased on his stomach and parts of his body.
On the other hand, defendant Emmanuel Forkey once held the deceased legs and after sometimes, blood oozed from the deceased mouth and blood was also seen pouring from his nose including his head.
After the defendants noticed that victim John Hilary Tubman went unconscious, they plundered for cash and other valuables within the victim’s bed room and other surrounding parts upstairs before they went back to the downstairs portion of the building where the victim’s office is situated.
Defendant Anderson tried breaking the deceased office door so as to enter but could not succeed and thereafter, the deceased collected food stuffs, tecno cell phone, a grey dell lap top and a DVD belonging to the deceased before they left the compound at about 4am.
Upon their returned to their Rehab community, defendant Christian Byron Anderson informed his father William V. S. Anderson that he and his friends killed John Hilary Tubman and when his father asked the two co-defendants, they confirmed the killing but Williams V.S. Anderson informed them not to tell anyone.
The defendants later left from Montserrado County and went Rivercess County where Anderson and Garblah were arrested.
Defendant Anderson and his co-defendants admitted killing victim John Tubman.
Anderson said he had known John Hilary Tubman since 2002 and sometimes he had gone to the victim’s Tubman residence in Fiamah, Sinkor to work. And he once asked the victim John Hilary Tubman to give him money to seek medication, but the victim refused and as such; he informed the victim John Hilary Tubman that he was going to get at him.
Narrating further, defendant Anderson said since the victim refused to give him money for his medication, he asked defendants Garblah and Forkey to follow him at the deceased residence in Fiamah, Sinkor so they could get money from him.
Defendant also admitted that he surreptitiously placed his two facilitators into victim’s Tubman house where they remained until 2am on Wednesday September 22, 2021 before his bedroom while he fell asleep.
Meanwhile, the defendants were sent to the Monrovia Central prison to await court trial.