‘Left for Medical’: Cllr. Arthur Johnson Refutes Claims That Client Fled Liberia to Evade Prosecution

Monrovia – Prominent Liberian lawyer Cllr. Arthur Johnson has strongly denied claims that his client, former Deputy Director General for Information and Coordination at the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Wilmot Smith, fled the country to evade prosecution.

Cllr. Johnson said Smith left Liberia more than a month ago for medical treatment in the United States, well before Judge Osman Fekai of Criminal Court “C” presided over the matter during the court’s August term.

Speaking on the Prime Morning Drive on Monday, Cllr. Johnson emphasized that his client remains committed to facing the case upon his return in early October.

The lawyer’s statement comes following the issuance of a writ of arrest for Smith, accused of jumping bail in a high-profile corruption case. Judge Fekai instructed all peace and police officers of the Liberia National Police to arrest Smith and commit him to the Monrovia Central Prison pending further proceedings.

However, Cllr. Johnson clarified that his client did not, and would not, flee the country. “My client did not run away. This is disheartening and condescending; that’s not true. Wilmot Smith has not been well. He left for the States for medication, and while he was there, the case was called. He’s wrapping up to come back to Liberia by the first or second week of October,” he said during the PMD interview via mobile phone.

Cllr. Johnson explained that he, too, was unavailable as he was engaged in a long-scheduled international assignment at the International Criminal Court (ICC). He submitted a written communication to the court, including Smith’s medical records, to explain the absence.

Despite this, the lawyer said, Judge Fekai rejected his request, fined him US$300, and issued a criminal writ of arrest for Smith even before the ruling had been signed. “The fact that the judge issued a writ of arrest without signing the ruling clearly shows it was politically motivated. That is double jeopardy, and we know how to deal with that when we return,” Cllr. Johnson asserted.

The defense lawyer also emphasized that Smith’s history contradicts any claims of being a fugitive. He noted that Smith had consistently appeared in court for more than two years and had secured an earlier ruling declaring his dismissal from LISGIS by the former president as illegal.

“We won the first opinion. LISGIS failed to justify the money they alleged Smith stole. We are now asking LISGIS to pay his benefits, and they have not. The man is not a fugitive; his reputation is being maligned,” Cllr. Johnson said.

He warned against what he described as the politicization of Liberia’s judiciary, stressing that the credibility of the courts is the cornerstone of the country’s democracy. “The only hope of Liberia’s democracy is the court. When people start going around and dangerously politicizing the court, we have a fear. We are worried about that.”