PHOTO: Judge Boimah Kontoe
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- The 9th Judicial Circuit Court and Criminal Court “E” have officially opened for the February A.D. Term of court in the central Bong County.
Rev. Moses Nyakpan, one of the chaplains assigned at the 9th Judicial Circuit preached on the theme: “Justice should not be compromised” with text taken from Matthews 7:1-2 with scores of judicial actors and few county leaders at the constitutional gathering in Gbarnga.
He urged lawyers, magistrates and associate magistrates to fairly dispense justice.
Delivering his official charge during the opening ceremonial, J. Boimah Kontoe, Resident Circuit Court judge extended felicitations to the Chief Justice of Liberia, His Honor, Francis Korbor for the confidence reposed in him.
He disclosed that between April 2021 to December 2021, the Bong County Bar Association lost six members to the cold hands of death- a situation he termed as grave, thereby consoling the families.
Judge Kontoe provided some reflection and thanked God for his blessings and opportunities from what he ‘calls vices from evil men’
He announced that the February A.D. Term of Court opening is strange, in that, they need to have an extra closed door meeting to sought things out.
But the circuit court Judge did not state what the discussion would center around and why it’s necessary.
“I hereby declare in collaboration with Judge Cornelius Flomo Wennah (Judge of the Sexual offenses court) this February A.D. 2022 term of court opened for the transaction of Business officially; and so ordered,” the Judge Kontoe later immediately adjoined.
In response to the Judge’s charge in a special interview, Mr. George Philip Mulbah, the regional Coordinator of the Justice and Peace Commission for Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties expressed disappointment of being left out.
He said that the opening ceremony was ‘very short’ and the opening session didn’t take responses as was expected.
Mr. Mulbah and others as well as the Resident Circuit Court Judge feel this opening is strange.
The JPC official is disappointed in Superintendent Madam Esther Yamah Walker’s statement terming PH.D holders as “very Stupid People and are messing up this country (Liberia).”
He wants an official apology from the Superintendent, and leader of the country as well as a mother.
JPC also wants pretrial detainees’ adjudication process fast-tracked, in order to dispense justice in the country.
Already, the Gbarnga Prison compound has been engulfed with challenges least to mention over crowdedness as many civil society institutions in the county have called on the Ministry of Justice to address the situation; as little or nothing is yet seen down.
Mr. George Philip Mulbah however, feels that, this February term of court could be a challenging moment, although he didn’t explain in totality.
Cases on the docket
According the clerks from both courts at the 9th Judicial Circuit and Court “E” responsible for Sexual Offenses, there are 53 cases including murder, aggravated assaults, among others cases on the 9th judicial circuit court docket while 36 cases are on the Sexual Offenses or Criminal Court ‘E’ docket.
It’s not clear whether all these cases will be adjudicated this during February A.D. term of court.
The ceremony was graced by several citizens including leaders without an official response to the Judge’s charge as always.
Many like Mr. Mulbah complained of not making suggestions during the official opening event.