Margibi County – Representative Tibelrosa Summoh Tarponweh has vowed that under no circumstances he will apologize over his role played in the prevention of the execution of a writ of Re-possession, despite a Writ of Summon for the Charge of Contempt of Court issued on him by the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County.
Report by Yawah Y. Jaivey, Contributor
Her Honor Ceainah D. Clinton–Johnson, the presiding Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata, Margibi County sitting in its August Term A.D. 2018, on September 12, issued a Writ of Summon against Rep. Tarponweh for the Charge of Contempt of Court.
The Court through the Wirt of Summon ordered Representative Tarponweh to appear before Judge Ceainah D. Clinton–Johnson on Tuesday, September 18, to show cause, why he cannot be attached with Contempt of Court for obstructing the service of a Writ of Re-possession issued out of the Court on September 8, 2018 against Marie Johnson, Thomas Yaya Nimely and James Gibson, defendants and residents of Duazon, Margibi County, in an Action of Ejection which triggered the Writ of Re-possession.
As Representative Tarponweh stood in the dock in the courtroom before Judge Ceainah D. Clinton–Johnson on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, to show why he cannot be attached with Contempt of Court, he told the Judge that his intervention to avert the execution of a writ of Re-possession was necessary to prevent the destruction of valuable properties and potential violence among the residents.
Representative Tarponweh said: “On Saturday, September 8, 2018 at approximately 10:45 AM, I received a call from a resident informing me that a court ordered for demolition was about to be effected in the community and my intervention was necessary to prevent the destruction of valuable properties and potential violence.
“Upon my arrival, I saw a contingent of police officers and yellow caterpillar machine operator getting ready to demolish the property in question.”
The Margibi County Lawmaker said after reading the Writ of Re-possession, he did not see any instruction to demolish properties except for the “use force if necessary”.
“When quizzed further about who authorized the use of a caterpillar, the police and officers denied knowing how the earth moving equipment was brought on the scene,” Representative Tarponweh further narrated.
He asserted that after his inquiry, he phoned the Deputy Police Director (102) and Judge Ceainah D. Clinton–Johnson in an attempt to ascertain the exact concerns and motivation of the parties.
Rep Tarponweh added: “After listening to the Judge and the Deputy Police Director, I felt that there might still be a room or opportunity to amicably and peacefully resolve the arguments among the police, court officers and complainants, and members of the enrage community. So I asked all parties to exercise restraint while we try to devise an alternative means of resolving the problem without destruction of properties”.
Rep Tarponweh’s explanation angered Judge Ceainah D. Clinton–Johnson as she when on to blast him for not respecting the doctrine of separation of powers, adding that the lawmaker action to have contacted her during the effectuation of the Court Order was an act that links her as a party to the case, something she vehemently frowned on.
Judge Clinton–Johnson intimated that the lawmaker statement was incriminating him in the obstruction of the Court Order and further corroborates with the Returns of the Sheriff, which he (Rep. Tarponweh) had earlier denied.
The presiding Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, however, reserved her ruling on the Charge of Contempt of Court to Tuesday, September 25, 2018, but warned Rep Tarponweh to stay away from matter as the court prepares another writ of Re-possession of property in favor of one Esther K. Venn.
Following the judge’s decision, the lawmaker hastily arranged a press conference in Kakata, where he vowed that under no circumstances he will apologize over his role played because his action was only intended to avoid the destruction of valuable properties and potential violence.
“Therefore, I would like to set the record straight and make it unambiguously clear that my intervention was in no way intended to undermine the court or obstruct justice. I am a firmed believer in the rule of law and also an ardent advocate for social justice, but considering thelong-termm potential economic and social consequences of carrying out the demolition exercise coupled with genuine believe that we could still resolve the matter without resulting to destruction of properties,” the Margibi County Lawmaker noted.
Additionally, Rep Tarponweh stated that as a legislator, who believes in the necessity of the democratic doctrine of separation of power and checks and balances, he would not intentionally attempt to either enforce the law or undermine the enforcement of the law.