Liberia History & Information

George Bardue
Monrovia

The treason case of Human Rights Activist J. Aloysius Toe appears to be facing hitches at the Criminal Court “A” with the National Human Rights Center of Liberia expressing concerns over the delay to proceed with trial.

 Since the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected 15 jurors for the trial and their subsequent qualification by the Court two weeks ago, the jurors are yet to be sequestrated.

 State lawyers had prayed the Court to sequestrate the jurors to avoid regular contacts between them and the public during the trial.

 Cllr. Blamo Dixon however insisted that if the jurors were not secluded from the public, the State will not introduce any evidence in the case.

 Following the State’s application about two weeks ago, Judge Boima Kontoe ruled that he would have communicated with the Supreme Court to provide money for the trial.

 Since the judge’s ruling, the jurors have been seen at the Court apparently awaiting news of their sequestration.

 At times, the jurors are seen lying on the Court’s benches from morning to evening and later retire for their various homes.

 Sources at the Court told this Paper that budget for the trial has already been approved but no time was given as to when the funds will be disbursed.

 Aloysius Toe was arrested, charged and indicted last November with treason for allegedly collaborating with LURD rebels to unseat the Liberian Government.

 Defendant Toe has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 Meanwhile, the NHRCL has said it was deeply concerned about the indefinite detention of Rights Defender Aloysius Toe.

 In a release yesterday, the Center said the justification by Government that the delay in resuming the trial last week was due to the lack of funds to feed the petit jurors, punctuates its alleged insensitivity to the plight of a young Liberian citizen who has been detained since last November.

 The Center frowns that the Government which is the accuser was now blaming the delay in starting the trial on the lack of money, something the release stressed connotes an unfavorable signal in the estimation of lovers of justice and democracy.

 The group called for the release of Mr. Toe from further detention in the interest of peace and reconciliation, especially in the wake of the pending Bamako Peace Talks.