Monrovia – Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia is expected today to hear the guilty or not guilty plea of Defendant Revival Womo Sam, a Nigerian pastor accused of allegedly raping, kidnapping and trafficking a 12-Year old girl.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh,
Defendant Sam is currently behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison awaiting trial, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 20.
During defendant Sam first appearance on Monday, February 18, his legal counsels pleaded with Judge Willie for 72 hours to peruse the case file for adequate representation.
“Counsel for defendant request your honour and this honourable court to grant him 72 hours, that is to say, three days so as to enable him to read the file and confer with the defendant of its theory in the case,” Defendant Sam’s legal counsel pleads.
Judge Willie granted the defense counsel pleads and fined the prosecution USD$25.00 for failure to give the case file to the defense counsel for adequate representation of his client.
However, according to the court’s (Court “A”) Indictment, 12 years old little Hawa (not her real name), was allegedly abused by Pastor Sam when her (Hawa) mother carried her to him (Pastor Sam) for spiritual cleansing after she had suffered spiritual complications.
The indictment: “That in 2016, with date and time unknown to plaintiff, the victim, then 12 years of age, suffered from spiritual complications and her mother, after consultations with her Pastor, now, defendant Revival Womo Sam turned victim (Hawa) over to him to be spiritually cleansed.
“That, defendant Sam had earlier prophesied to victim’s mother that the Almighty God had given victim (Hawa, not her real name) a ‘Divine destiny’ and that such divine destiny could be distracted and abused if victim was not brought to him at his Global Revival Movement for spiritual environmental relocation”.
The Indictment further mentioned that after little Hawa’s mother placed her in the care of Pastor Sam for spiritually cleansing, they later (her parents) realized that defendant Sam had changed little Hawa name to “Peculiar Joseph” and got a Liberian Passport for her without their consent.
The indictment continued: “However, in 2018, with date and time unknown to plaintiff, victim’s parents realized what was unfolding concerning defendant Sam’s attitude toward her (Hawa), demanded her returned, but defendant Sam refused and after her parents insisted, he returned her to them”
The Indictment reveals: “That after the victim returned home to her parents, she later escaped from their house and while her parents were in search of her, they were told that defendant Sam had travelled to the Federal Republic of Nigeria with victim Hawa without their consent”.
According to the Indictment, in pursued of little Hawa in June 2018, her mother travelled to Nigeria where she met her with Pastor Sam pregnant.
“When confronted, defendant Sam admitted that it was he who gave her the belly and that he wanted to be his wife,” the Indictment added.