By: G. Bennie Bravo Johnson, I
The defense team in the high-profile Capitol Arson trial before Criminal Court “A” has excepted to Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie’s ruling ordering that their clients undergo medical examination at AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, insisting that the facility is not independent and therefore cannot guarantee impartial results.
At the Wednesday, September 10, 2025 sitting, defense lawyers argued that AMI, like the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, is a government-contracted medical facility linked to the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia National Police. They maintained that such affiliation compromises the credibility of any medical report expected to determine allegations that the defendants were tortured and sodomized while in custody.
Counsel for the defense reminded the Court that co-defendant Thomas Etheridge, after allegedly being tortured and compelled to confess, collapsed and was taken to AMI, where doctors attributed his condition to malaria rather than the alleged beatings. They argued that this incident demonstrates why the defendants do not trust the integrity of AMI and why an independent medical institution with no ties to government must conduct the examinations.
The defense also excepted to the Sheriff’s return, which was based on a report from the Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison. They described it as “false and misleading,” noting that it was not the Sheriff’s own testimony and therefore constituted hearsay. They further argued that the order was never served on the defendants or their lawyers, yet their counsels had been fined unjustly for contempt.
The prosecution, on the other hand, downplayed the defense motion as a mere delay tactic. Prosecutors claimed that the defendants had refused to comply with a prior order to appear at JFK, though they said they had no objection to an independent medical examination being conducted.
In his ruling, Judge Willie sided partly with the prosecution, stating that the defense had shown “gross disrespect” by refusing to obey the Court’s order. He fined several defense lawyers for contempt, ordering them to pay amounts ranging from US$50 to US$100 into the Judiciary’s account.
On the issue of medical examination, the Judge acknowledged the defense’s distrust of JFK but emphasized that AMI Expeditionary Healthcare is “an internationally recognized facility providing independent and professional medical services.” He noted that AMI operates under international standards and therefore should be trusted to conduct a neutral assessment.
Judge Willie ordered that all defendants be taken to AMI at the expense of the Ministry of Justice for a full medical examination. He further mandated that the medical reports be submitted to the Court no later than September 17, 2025, to enable ruling on the pending Motion to Suppress Evidence.
Despite the ruling, defense lawyers immediately excepted, insisting that AMI’s contractual ties with the government made it no different from JFK. They maintained that the Court’s ruling was unjust, prejudicial, and undermined the rights of the accused.
Defendants in the Capitol Building arson case had earlier told the court that they cannot trust the government-owned John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital (JFK) to conduct their medical examinations. In a motion filed before the court, they argued that the hospital’s ties to the Ministry of Justice compromise its independence and could bias results in favor of the prosecution.
The defendants, who are facing charges ranging from arson, criminal mischief, conspiracy, solicitation, intent to commit murder, aggravated assault, illegal possession of firearm, release of destructive forces, reckless endangerment, and theft of property, contend that JFK has a memorandum of understanding with the Justice Ministry to treat pretrial detainees. They insist that this financial and institutional relationship denies the hospital the neutrality required to examine individuals being prosecuted by the same government.
In their motion, the defendants allege that they were tortured by agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Liberia National Police (LNP), leaving them with serious health complications, including blurred vision and urinary problems marked by reddish urine. They argue that only a team of independent medical practitioners can provide an impartial assessment of their conditions.
