Bomi County – It was a teary moment when the presiding judge of Criminal Court ‘B’ in Tubmanburg, Bomi County handed the final judgment in the case involving Sianneh Mulbah, a charcoal seller who was murdered in Bomi with parts of her body extracted.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson- Mbayo/ [email protected]
The family of the deceased was incensed by the judge’s sentence given the defendants as they demanded that he be sentenced to life imprisonment or death by hanging.
Minutes following the judge’s ruling, the mother of the deceased fainted and was taken out of the court to be resuscitated. When she later came to herself, she said it was too much for her to take.
“My nine months was just taken from me!! My People your come help me, “she cried incessantly.
Arthur Johnson Jr., son of the deceased, could not also hold his tears during an interview with FPA, calling on Lahai Lassana, the alleged mastermind, to be prosecuted.
“That’s not the maximum sentence I wanted—the brutal way he murdered my mom—he should have been given a death by hanging.
Also I’m frustrated because there was no arrest order issue for Lahai Lansanah who is the master minder behind my mothers’ death and the death given her was premeditated, according to the defendant,” he added.
He furthered revealed that his family is working along with the Ministry of Justice to bring in the others for prosecution.
“We are working with the Ministry of Justice to bring in the other two since one is dead, but all we really need now is that Lansanah, who is the head of the killing, should be brought to justice.”
Beatrice Jackson, sister of the deceased told FPA that the years given to the defendant by the judge is not satisfactory but was glad for his sentence and prosecution.
“For me, I know he will not survive in the prison, but I’m angry over the judge sentence because of the brutal way my sister was killed.”
On Friday at Criminal Court ‘B’, Judge George Wiles sentenced Johnathan Anderson to 48 years following his admittance to the charge of murder.
Defendant Anderson, Victor Jah and Varney Sirleaf were indicted August 2014 by the 11th Judicial Circuit of Bomi County. Victor Jah died during the Ebola outbreak.
According to the indictment on January 20, at Nyaundee Town, Manneh Clan, Klay District, Anderson, alias Arab Man, purposely cause the death of another human being.
At the call of the case for trial, the prosecution filed a motion which was granted and the case was sent to Criminal Court A’ and later transferred to Court B’.
September 13 2016, a pre-trial conference was heard upon which the defense requested a severance for co-defendant Anderson which was granted by the court.
The defendant at the call of the case for hearing pleaded guilty during arraignment but was not accepted by the court because it is a capital offense which is in accordance with Chapter 16, Section 16.4 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
The state produced four witnesses including Yangar Massaquoi, a business partner and friend to the deceased, Albert Dennis, Halvin Page and Abraham Ricks.
Judge Willie said the prosecution’s witnesses’ testimonies corroborated the commission of the crime by the defendant.
The defendant’s testimony revealed that he (Anderson) conspired to kill the deceased on grounds that he was to be given US$500,000 to produce human parts, but he never received the money after the act.
“If it had been my mother, I would have killed her because of the spirit I was in. Also I was the first person who hit the deceased with a mortar pestle from the back and she dropped to the ground,” he told the court.
“My friends extracted her parts while I watched the road to know who was coming.”
Meanwhile the defendant’s legal counsel waived questions and the trial jury brought down a guilty verdict against Anderson.
In Judge Willie’s judgment, he confirmed and affirmed the guilty verdict by the jurors and said though the maximum penalty for the offense is life imprisonment, the minimum is imprisonment not less than 10 years.
“Even though the defendant admitted to the commission of the crime, the manner in which the crime was committed was too grave to give him a very low sentence.
The Defendant Anderson is hereby sentenced to a term of imprisonment for forty eight years beginning today (Friday),” Judge Willie said.
He continued: “After 30 years of imprisonment, with good behavior, he shall be eligible for parole, this will serve as deterrence to other Liberians to respect human life.”
Minutes after the Judge’s ruling, in no time correction officer ran out with the defendant as the family members were set to wound him on grounds that the years given to the defendant was little for the crime he committed.
Meanwhile, a member of the Charcoal union, where the deceased was a member, Samuel Weah in an angry tone said that the sentence is far from seriousness.
“He should have been killed, the 48 years is not sufficient, what happened to Lahai Lansanah and Sirleaf?”