PHOTO: “Open zipper” behind Court Officer, followed by prime suspect Moses Mlarmah, who pleaded guilty
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
ZWEDRU, Liberia- As the trial of motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema got underway here on Monday, the prime suspect, who was gruesomely murdered the victim, has pleaded not guilty at the 7th Judicial Circuit Court.
Nyema was allegedly murdered in Pleebo, Maryland County in early April of 2021 and parts extracted for ritualistic purpose and prime suspect, the prime suspect Moses Mlarmah has pleaded guilty on Monday, May 30, 2022 after being arraigned in court.
Despite his guilty plea, state prosecutors said they will put aside and go into the case to produce evidence against him
But co-defendants Jeremiah Appleton alias “open zipper”, Leo K. Williams and Alice Davis pleaded not guilty thereby joining issue with the state.
On the other hand, defendant Francis Kla Nyema was released through a nulle prosequio, in line with chapter 18 section 18.1 of the Criminal procedure law of Liberia on ground that he has no connection to the case.
The case was transferred from Maryland County to Grand Gedeh County based on change of venue request made by state prosecutors.
Defendant Alice Davis
Meanwhile, prosecution has filed motion for continuance into the matter, so as to allow them procure their material witnesses on May 31,2022 in these proceedings.
But defense lawyer interposed objection and says that case Republic of Liberia involving Moses Mlarmah occurred 2021, when the indictment was drawn in April which the Ministry of justice has gathered all evidence and was prepared for trial anytime.
In his objection, the defense lawyer said he expected this trial to continue on this date; that defense see the motion for continuance to delay but not deny.
The defense lawyer also prayed court to deny said motion and order the trial proceed to ensure adequately and meaningfully realize tax payer money.
But the court granted it and have the trial postponed to May 31, 2022 where the state will start the production of witnesses.
The trial was expected to be heard during the August A.D 2021 term of court. But it was deferred to the November A.D term of court but the production of witnesses didn’t materialize after prosecution applied all efforts.
They were indicted by the ground jury of Maryland County during the February 2021, A.D. term of court for the crime of murder, criminal conspiracy and Criminal Facilitation and armed robbery.
The killing of the motorcyclist, who was also a student of the Pleebo High School led to serious riots in the streets of Pleebo and Harper, which prompted the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew by President George Weah. The main prison in Harper was vandalized, causing close to a hundred prisoners to escape although many of them were later arrested. The residence of House Speaker Bohfal Chambers in Pleebo was also set ablaze.
Police charges spelled out
According to police charge sheet, on March 25-April 7, 2021, a special Investigation team arrested defendant Jeremiah Appleton alias (Open Zipper), Francis Kla Nyema, Leo K. Williams and Alice Davis duly informed them of their constitutional rights, thoroughly Investigated them and subsequently charged with Criminal conspiracy, murder and armed robbery for their respective role played in the murder of deceased Mordacious Nyema.
During police investigation to establish how the Motorcyclist was killed, it was revealed that on Thursday on March 25, 2021at about 0945hrs, suspect Moses Mlarmah age 22; a resident of Pleebo Cityc lured the late Mordacious Nyema to go into the MOPP palm plantation under the guise of going for a load( two tin of Palm Oil and two heads of banana).
Investigation established that suspect Moses Mlarmah rode on the deceased’s motorbike to the Palm planation where upon their arrival thereat, Moses Mlarmah pulled out a Cutlass and chopped deceased several times on his neck and the head which led to his death.
That the Investigation gathered that suspect Mlarmah dragged and dumped the lifeless body of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema in a nearby swamp 14feet away from the motor road and took the deceased motorbike and went his way.
Police Investigation conducted with suspect Mlarmah, he confirmed his involvement in the death of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema and named co-suspect Leo Williams, Alice Davis, Jeremiah Appleton, Francis Kla Nyema as accomplices.
He also informed police Investigators that he was not alone in the death of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema and said he was sent by one big brother he only named as Leo, who he met on March 24,2021 morning and informed him that he has an operation that he wanted he(Moses Mlarmah) to carry out.
When he asked the big brother as to what type of operation he was talking about, the big brother responded and said he wanted human being blood.
But he told the big brother in response that he alone was not able to carry out such operation but the big brother Leo Williams told him to find another person who could assist him carry out the operation.
According to him, before big brother Leo Williams could leave, he gave him (Mlarmah) US $200 to buy gas for his motorbike for said operation. Suspect Mlarmah said after a little while, he went on the Grand Kru road to have his motorbike wash and he saw Jeremiah Appleton alias Open Zipper and asked him to join him to carry out the operation to get human parts.
Open Zipper asked Mlarmah for money to go smoke before he could say anything and he Mlarmah gave him L$700 and he left but later came back and the both of them decided to go to the Maryland Oil palm plantation (MOPP) with the company’s truck and tractor and stopped to the MOPP gate within the plantation.
After they stopped at the MOPP plantation, they saw a motorbike rider identified as Mordacious Nyema where he suspect Mlarmah told the deceased that he had a load on his father’s farm in Sami Tugbeh’s village beyond the palm plantation that they wanted him to go for.