Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Trial Of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - Episode II

The Trial Of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Episode II
             In the Grand Inquest room prosecution team was frantically justifying their indictment. Prosecution had slammed defendant Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with 11-count charges. There are 15 Grand Jurors that must be convinced to draw a prosecutable indictment. If there was not a unanimous decision, the indictment would not see the light of day.
           The Chief Prosecutor is Cllr. Tuan Wreh. He was selected of three dozens of qualified, competent and astute lawyers. He had hesitated to take the job on grounds that he knew Ellen when she was teenager. Not that he would have created biases in favor of her, but that he was surprise to have seen a sweet little girl turned into a monster, virtually present in all anarchy that brought the country to its knees.
            “My son,” Albert Porte patted Cllr. Wreh his right shoulder. He turns to look at the erudite radical and human right activities, the old man did not reciprocate. He had his head down figuring the appropriate words to speak. He signaled with his index finger for Cllr. Wreh to follow him. They walked away from a group of lawyers and passed a handful of Tuan’s supporters.
            “I am hearing you want to turn down the job to prosecute Madam Sirleaf, is that true?
            “Errrh…,” he scratched his head. “Yes…no.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am more sad than angry to prosecute a person who was the beckon of hope for Liberian women. A person who stood for justice, human rights, good governance, rule of law, and stood the flames of fire.”
“I see…,” Porte began to speak.
“Not only those, I have to make the decision to do the right thing, and that is what I stand for. You know me old man Porte. I never waver, I never fear anything. You taught us to fear nothing but to do wrong.”
“Exactly, it is you we got. You must take this job, it is more than a job, it is a duty to this country,” said the radical activist.
            “Ehn-han… that is the Tuan I know. My son, stand on Liberia and deal with anyone who tries to pull her from under you…”
            He had hardly ended his statement when Cllr. Wreh burst into laughter. “Did you say somebody will pull this one country ours from under me or rather from under us? No way, Mr. Porte! That means all your efforts of yesteryear was a waste. And I am not in the mood to let this slap land in your face,” he said.
            As Cllr. Wreh lifted his eyes, his assistant signaled. The Grand Jury was ready for the prosecution to present their indictment and provide factual and circumstantial evidences that are needed to approve the indictment. He excused himself of Porte and rushed on the second floor of the Temple of Justice, where the Grand Jury deliberation room was located.
            At the head of the jury was G. Baccus Matthew, as Foreman. He was surrounded by 14 other prominent citizens, of Ellen’s age, as enshrined in the Constitution. Assisting Baccus was Albert Karpeh, the former Liberian Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Karpeh was killed by the resistant armed group, United Liberation for Democracy (ULIMO). He was the only Krahn man who made it to the 15-member jury. The other assistant was Varney Dempster, the former Police Director during the Tolbert administration, during the same time Madam Sirleaf was finance Minister.
            The secretary of the Jury was Kaloungo Luo. He was on his farm in Nimba when he heard that the Special Fast Track Court was selecting jurors for the trial of Madam Sirleaf. He arrived in Monrovia fours to the conclusion of the selection process. He rushed at the Temple of Justice and he was selected.
            The eldest of the jurors was Taylor E. Mayor. He had sat in his seat for more than two hours without saying a word. He attempted saying something but quipped: “We need our lunch now or else our mouths will be sealed…”
THE SERIES CONTINUES.

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