Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span>Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musah Dean and Information Minister Ledgerhood J. Ronnie have pleaded with the Supreme Court for mercy, following their appearance on Tuesday, June 20, to answer to a contempt charge before the Court.<\/p>\nOn May 30, the Supreme Court summoned the two government officials to explain why they should not be held in contempt for their statements criticizing the judicial system after the jurors rendered a \u2018not guilty\u2019 verdict in favor of the defendants in the US$100 million cocaine case.<\/p>\n
Minister Dean, accompanied by his lawyers, Constitution lawyer Sr. Cllr. Pearl Brown Bull, president of the National Bar Association, Oswald Tweh and former Dean of the Louis Arthur School of Law, Cllr. Nagbalee Warner appeared before the Bench and apologized for his statement as well as his delay in appearing on time. Both Minister Dean and Minister Rennie were fined US$500 each last week for their failure to comply with the summon issued by the Full Bench of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
The fine was imposed due to Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean and Information Minister Ledgerhood J. Rennie\u2019s non-compliance with the summon. The ministers claimed they were engaged in travel and sent Minister Nyenati Tuan as their representative.<\/p>\n
However, Minister Tuan was also fined for not carrying a written communication from the ministers explaining their unavailability.<\/p>\n
The US$100 million cocaine case was tried in Criminal court \u2018C\u2019 at the Temple of Justice, and the jury, selected by the prosecuting arm of the Liberian government and the defense team, delivered a not guilty verdict.<\/p>\n
Following the verdict, the Executive Branch of the government, through the Ministry of Justice, condemned the verdict and Judge Blamo Dixon, who presided over the case, describing the acquittal of four alleged high-profile drug smugglers as appalling.<\/p>\n
Minister Dean, in a press statement released immediately after the ruling, stated that the verdict was shameful and undermined the country\u2019s efforts to combat the illegal transit of illicit drugs.<\/p>\n
However, Cllr. Dean clarified that his statement was never intended to tarnish the government\u2019s image but rather a specific reference to the ruling, in which the government had presented all the evidence to prosecute the defendants.<\/p>\n
During their appearance, one of Ministers Dean and Rennie\u2019s lawyers, Cllr. Pearl Brown Bull, informed the Bench that her clients had no intention to challenge the Court but were pleading for mercy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Honor, in honor and absolute obedience to the citation of this honorable court, the Attorney General of Liberia and Dean of your Supreme Court, and Ledgerhood J. Ronnie, pray for your indulgence and mercy, and apologize to your honor,\u201d Cllr. Bull stated.<\/p>\n
According to Cllr. Bull, Minister Dean had served as Dean of the Supreme Court for six years and had contributed to the court\u2019s efforts to rebrand the judiciary. Therefore, his appearance was not meant to disrespect the court or undermine its reputation.<\/p>\n
The experienced Liberian legal experts emphasized that Minister Dean\u2019s statement expressing shock at the court\u2019s ruling was based on the evidence presented by the prosecution and not intended to provoke a confrontation with the court, for which Minister Dean and Rennie were charged with contempt.<\/p>\n
Cllr. Bull maintained, \u201cAccording to the procedure and ethics in this jurisdiction, before this court, you put the facts before the case, then before the law issues and discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
She urged the Supreme Court to pursue its contempt charge against the two ministers, as they were also contributing to the rebranding of the judiciary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn light of the above, respondents sincerely and respectfully pray for your honor\u2019s mercy based on the facts, circumstances, and Minister of Justice\u2019s statements or actions. We pray for your honor\u2019s mercy in relation to the contempt charge, so that Minister Dean can continue to assist this court in rebranding the image of the judiciary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh has reserved ruling on the matter and suspended further proceedings.<\/p>\n
source:frontpageafricaonline<\/b><\/p>\n
For More News And Analysis About Liberia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Willie N. Tokpah Africa-Press – Liberia. Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musah Dean and Information Minister Ledgerhood J. Ronnie have pleaded with the Supreme Court for mercy, following their appearance on Tuesday, June 20, to answer to a contempt charge before the Court. On May 30, the Supreme Court summoned the two government officials to explain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":38855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[233,237,234],"class_list":["post-38856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-liberia","tag-liberia"],"yoast_head":"\n
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