PHOTO: (Left) Suspects entering Court in handcuff (Right) slain German man
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- The 13th Circuit Court in Kakata, Margibi County has put the murder case involving the alleged killing of German national Jurden Schedeman to the next term of court, after lawyers representing the defense pleaded for jury trial, instead of a bench trial.
The decision was made on Thursday, June 4, 2020 during the trial some 73 kilometers east of Monrovia.
The late Juergen Schedema, Manager of the International Consultant Company (ICC), was discovered dead early Wednesday morning, January 22 at the back of the log yard, which is located in Big Joe Town – more than a mile away from the port city of Buchanan, 88 miles from Monrovia.
Invoking Chapter 20.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law, Atty. Alfred B. Whelmes reminded the court of the rights of his clients to jury trial as provided for by law, a motion Judge Mardea Chenoweth granted.
In his resistance to the petition, the prosecution headed by Margibi County Attorney H. Deddeh Jomah Wilson, described the move by the defense as not being in good faith.
Atty Jomah noted that even before the opening of the current term of court, the defense team had adequate notice that owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, there would have been no jury trials.
At that point, Atty.Jomah argued that it was up to the defendants to decide whether they wanted a jury or bench trial.
Besides, the prosecution said after defendants Emmanuel Kollie and Joseph Cole entered a unanimous not guilty plea and the prosecution said they would continue with the production of witnesses, defense interposed no objection to the continuance of the proceedings.
The two suspected killers of the German man leaving the court on motorbike
One of the defendants, Emmanuel Kollie was once convicted of armed robbery in 2017, according to court records, but broke jail before completing a one year sentence.
His name has also appeared twice on the list of notorious armed robbers. Co-defendant Joseph Cole is also captured on the police list of notorious armed robbers in the country.