The Trial Of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - Episode I

The Trial Of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Episode I

The Sheriff rose from his seat, grabbed his gavel and called for silence. He had hung his chain in his left palm sitting behind a medium wooden desk. His eyes fixed on Judge Emmanuel Gbalazeh speaking slowly and cautiously. Cornell Law School graduate and jurist John Morris was pensively scanning the audience that had swollen in the last few minutes. Judge George Tulay, referred to by his colleague lawyers as “Mango-Mango”, was writing with a red pen.

Judge Morris is a member of the Bassa-Americo-Liberian lineage, a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. Before serving on the Supreme Court Bench, he was a circuit judge of repute. Judge Gbalazeh brings a huge experience to the three-member bench that is expected to preside over the trial of the century that brings Ellen Johnson Sirleaf face-to-face with the laws of the land, and her accusers. Gbalazeh was former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He is from the Mahn ethnic group of Nimba County, and was international jurist and executive member of the African Jurist Association, to which Cllr. Toye Barnard served as Vice President. Judge Tulay was a member of the Mandingo ethnic group, and was a circuit judge, serving intermittently as presiding judge of the Criminal Courts A and B.

The judges were vetted out of a list of 12 astute lawyers and judges whose names were submitted to the public. Gbalazeh earned the highest votes, perhaps based on his encounter with Samuel Doe, as the first Chief Justice whose entire Bench was asked to resign by a sitting president. Judge Tulay played his cards well to come second. Before the vetting got mid-way, he threatened to turn down his selection if the public expected him to be bias. “If you want me to me be a cockroach and tilt my opinion you will not get me to do it,” he had said. Judge Morris was a compromise choice between him and Cllr. Joseph Findley. Most people believe Findley, an astute lawyer of his time, was certainly leaning toward defending suspect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose indictment the Grand Inquest was deliberating.

The Sheriff walked sublimely toward the entrance of the court, his face stern. Garbed in his Khaki suit, the Sheriff marched toward the entrance of the courtroom and exclaimed: “Hear ye, hear ye, the Special Fast Track Criminal Court, sitting in its first session, opens for business. All persons having matters before this court should come near, for the Special Fast Track Court is ready for business.”

The Sheriff’s deep voice could be heard across the humongous Temple of Justice. The courtroom was jam pack. About 16 benches on each side of the aisle provided comfortable seating for the guess of the court. Everyone dressed neatly except a 27-year old young man, with one of his fore limbs amputated.

            “Hey, you come here,” the police at the door commanded.

            “Yes sir,” the man turned to look at the police man when an elderly woman interrupted.

            “Why are you calling my son,” she demanded.

            “Old ma, this man is not properly dressed,” the officer said, walking toward the man.

            “The woman they are bringing to this court made my son like this, he must see her face,” the woman demanded.

            ‘Sorry, he can’t go in. You can go.”

            The young man turned around and rested his back against the marble wall. His eye reddened, he took a few gawky steps toward the police man and stopped. His Mom signaled to him to stay back. Then she passed the officer and entered, surveying the room to recognize faces.

THE SERIES CONTINUES.