The 9th Judicial Circuit Court in the central Liberian city of Gbarnga, Bong County has finally released on bail a Methodist Church Pastor, Rev. Dr. Samuel Karyea who allegedly raped a15-year-old girl, after state lawyers’ failed to proceed with the case.
The court, presided over by Judge Boima Kontoe, made the decision to set free the Methodist cleric on Monday, November 23, 2020, after state lawyers again filed another motion for continuance into the case, which was denied by the court.
Thus, prompting the Circuit Court release the Methodist Church Pastor on bail for two weeks.
When the case commenced on November 18, 2020, state Prosecutors filed a motion of continuance into the matter which was granted by the court and the case was scheduled for hearing on November 23, 2020, when the state lawyers again filed another motion for continuance due to their unreadiness to proceed with the case.
After state lawyers’ second motion for continuance was denied, the defense lawyer Mohammed Golafalley filed a motion to dismiss charge against his client, Rev. Karyea.
Judge Boima Kontoe
But his motion was suspended by the court due to the holding of the Liberian National Bar Association annual conference which is expecting to commence from November 28-December 1, 2020.
Motion to dismiss is in line with Chapter 18.2 of the Criminal procedure law of Liberia which states
18.2. Dismissal by court for failure to proceed with prosecution.
Unless good cause is shown, a court shall dismiss a complaint against a defendant who is not indicted by the end of the next succeeding term after his arrest for an indictable offense or his appearance in court in response to a summons or notice to appear charging him with such an offense.
The court says, Rev. Dr. Samuel Karyea will be set free after the two weeks, if state Prosecutors cannot proceed with the matter, it will surely grant defense lawyer Golafalley motion for dismissal filed.
A motion for continuance simple means to postphoned or ask for time.
Rev. Dr. Samuel Karyea immediately after his release, went to the Nation’s Capital Monrovia to have a rest.
The teenage rape survivor and her mother apparently avoid the court after a Methodist Church cleric, the alleged perpetrator was denied bail, the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga, Bong County is due to begin the trial shortly, with likelihood of the trial being aborted.
The proceedings into the trial of Pastor Samuel Karyea of the United Methodist Church comes after he was denied bail in July this year over the alleged rape of a 15-year-old school girl.
Rev. Karyea’s trial is due to take place this Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 10am.
It is predicted that with the disappearance of the alleged rape survivor and her mother, Dr. Karyea might likely be let off the hook from his rape charge, as their whereabouts remain unknown.
Defendant Karyea was indicted during the May A. D. Term of court without the best evidence in line with the Criminal procedure law Chapter 21.2.
It is expected that the Methodist cleric may be freed on grounds that the survivor’s mother had told state prosecutors that she did not complain to anyone that her daughter was raped.
Shying away from the court process
Besides, she said that she was “on prayer ground” and she could pray for the state prosecutor to be dismissed.
After reportedly threatening the state prosecutor in Gbarnga, he tried to explain to the mother of the girl about the importance of Justice, but she is said to have cut off her mobile phone while he was in conversation with the mother.
Legal people says in such a case, the matter cannot be prosecuted without the victim. And at the same time, the defendant cannot be behind bars after two terms of court when the survivor cannot be found.
Support from fellow clerics?
But it is alleged that some top clerics who are friend of the accused sponsored the rape survivor and her who are believed to be in another country, with no means of communication.
This has not been independently verified.
After Police arrested and charged the senior Methodist Church cleric for allegedly raping a minor in Gbarnga, Bong County, central Liberia, the church suspended Rev. Dr. Samuel Karyea. Rev. Karyea, who is Senior Pastor of the St. John United Methodist Church and Dean of the Gbarnga School of Theology, who was arrested, investigated, charged and sent to the 9th Judicial Circuit Court for alleged statutory rape by the Liberia National Police.
According to police investigation, defendant Karyeah, age 54, allegedly raped a 15 year-old girl, who was on his list of sponsored students at the Williams V.S. Tubman High school in Gbarnga. The cleric is said to be married with wife and children staying together but went to rape a minor.
Case background
Rev. Karyea was first picked up by the police for allegedly raping the survivor for the first time in the Lelekpayea community, where the survivor and her parents also live but that incident was said to be compromised by parents, after the girl complained of the sexual acted meted out against her allegedly by this servant of God.
The Second alleged rape incident allegedly occurred on the compound of the school of theology, where the victim again complained to her parents but it was never taken serious.
Police were informed when a Human Rights and some Civil Society groups came together and issued a press statement, pressuring the police for the immediate arrested of the clergy man. In a swift manner, the police moved in and had the Pastor arrested, investigated, charged and forwarded to court.
Pastor Karyeah is currently behind bar awaiting court trial.
In a press statement on Thursday, April 2, 2020, the United Methodist Church called on the Government of Liberia to fast-track his trial, and said they “regret the alleged sexual assault carryout by one of its pastors, citing that, the law must take its course against the clergyman.”
The investigation established that in September last year, the victim was firstly tempered with in the Lelekpayea community and later on the Compound of the Gbarnga School of Theology. UMC-Liberia has meanwhile called for the speedy trail of their clergymen, adding that, it strongly believed in the smooth adjudication of the rule of law,” the statement from the Methodist Church. Report by Garmah Never Lomo,