Monrovia – Judge Jomah Jallah of the Monrovia City Court on Wednesday denied a petition from the state prosecutors to declare the Alternative National Congress Political Leader Alexander B. Cummings as “hostile witness.”
The judge’s decision is predicated upon the fact that Mr. Cummings has shown no posture of being hostile in the ongoing proceeding linking him to forgery and criminal conspiracy, as being perceived by the prosecution.
On Monday, Prosecuting lawyers resenting the State pleaded with the Monrovia City Court to declare the political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) a “hostile witness” to allow them to place him on cross-examination.
Their appeal came after Alexander Cummings took the witness stand in court, denying the existence of the original copy of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) Framework Document.
Declaring Cummings a “hostile witness” would mean he is not cooperating as per the questions asked or his answers in court were not corresponding with prosecution questions when he took the witness stand on Monday.
However, the lead lawyer for Cummings, Cllr. Abrahim Sillah described the prosecution’s request against his client to declare him a “hostile witness” and to cross-examine him as a delay tactic.
Cummings, who was brought in to testify as subpoena witness, has said that the CPP Framework Document does not exist and never existed.
However, during Wednesday, February 23, legal proceeding at the Monrovia City Court, All Liberian Party Chairman Theodore Momo disclosed that the original copy of the CPP Framework Document is with the collaboration of former Chairperson, Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence.
Taking the witness stand at the court, Momo said during the process of collaboration, representatives of the four Collaborating Political Parties were requested to give a continuous update to the Executive Committee, to solicit their inputs.
“Work of the documents were completed and reports made to ALP’s Standard Bearer Benoni Urey, who then set the date for the formal signing of the CPP Framework Document on May 19, 2021, and was submitted to Cummings, who was mandated to seek the certification of the CPP,” Mr. Momo noted.
However, Chairman told the court that five copies were printed and given to Cummings to authorize all five copies and to return four to the parties, with the fifth one submitted to the National Elections Commission for accreditation.
Momo further noted that Cummings, as CPP Chairman, was then mandated to submit said document to lawyers for review and advice, where 10 issues were identified with suggested disposition attached among which, called for the exit of a party at any point of time.
Meanwhile, Momo said during that stage of the CPP Framework Document, witness the lawyers made no disposition but rather suggested a dialogue strategized to select standard-bearer and vice standard-bearer.