-In Arson Case
By G. Bennie Bravo Johnson
Monrovia, Liberia – Criminal Court “A” Judge Willie has rejected the prosecution’s request to modify the current indictment in the ongoing arson trial by adding a new defendant, Representative Yoker. The decision came after intense legal arguments, with the defense labeling the prosecution’s move as an attempt to “disband the jury.”
Judge Willie ruled that the request failed to correct any formal defect in the indictment, which is a legal requirement under the statute governing amendments. He emphasized that making such a change after the trial had already commenced and the jury empaneled would be both improper and disruptive to the proceedings.
“The prosecution’s application is not in line with the statute. Adding a new defendant at this stage would disrupt the trial,” Judge Willie stated.
Defense lawyer, Cllr. Wilkins Michael Wright, strongly opposed the move, claiming that the prosecution’s actual intent was to dismantle the jury and restart the trial from scratch. “This is an attempt to disband the entire selected jurors,” Wright argued.
He pointed out that Representative Yoker’s name does not appear on the original indictment, which contradicts the prosecution’s argument. While acknowledging that indictments can be amended under specific legal conditions, Cllr. Wright warned that doing so now would force the court to repeat completed procedures.
“Bringing Rep. Yoker into the case at this point,” he said, “would require the Court to redo processes already completed, delay the trial, and risk violating the rights of defendants currently in detention.”
The case continues amid heightened public interest and legal wrangling over the prosecution’s strategy.
