Monrovia – Defendant Revival Womo Sam has filed a motion for new trial at Criminal Court after the jury unanimously came down with a guilty verdict against him.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh 00231775524647 / [email protected]
The defendant motion was filed ahead of the expected final ruling of Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie.
During the hearing of the motion on Tuesday, March 26, the defendant’s lawyer, Cllr. T. Joseph B. Debblay argued that the jury’s decision is contrary to the weight of the evidence produced before the court.
Cllr. Debblay also argued that the defendant guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt during the trial.
“One of the Counsels for the Defendant requests Your Honor to set the verdict of the jury aside and grant unto the defendant a new trial in keeping with our criminal procedure law,” Cllr Debblay wrote.
“We want a new trial because the jurors were not cognizant of the issue, of the fact and did not understand laws governing human trafficking issues”.
Cllr. Debblay wants the judge to set aside the jury verdict on a ground that witnesses’ testimonies were not in line with the jury verdict, pleading that the judge grants the defendant a new trial in keeping with the criminal procedure law.
In resistance to the defendant’s motion for new trial, state prosecutors argued that the judge denies the defendant’s motion because the verdict is consistent with the evidence adduced before the court.
“Respondent humbly prays Your Honor to deny, dismiss and reject the application of the Counsel for the Defendant as same lacks the basis for the awarding for a new trial in this jurisdiction,” the prosecuting counsel said
“Prosecution respectfully prays Your Honor to affirm, confirm and admit the verdict of the jury in these proceedings to form a cogent part of these proceedings, and Your Honor should do the most honorable thing per the statute”.
But Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie denied the defendant’s application.
“The verdict was based on evidence because when you recruit and transfer someone from their locale and carry them to another place, whether local or international that person is been fooled, the law says it is human trafficking which was proven in court,” the JUdge said.
“Hence, the motion for a new trial is denied and this court will deliver the final ruling in these proceedings because we must have a sentencing hearing.”
Pastor Sam was indicted on January 22, 2018, on three counts of Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Statutory Rape.
According to the indictment, Defendant Sam was forwarded to court for allegedly impregnating a 14-year-old minor, who was taken to his church for spiritual cleansing after she had suffered spiritual complications.
Prior to the jury indictment, Judge Willie then transferred the count three (Statutory Rape) of the indictment to Criminal Court ‘E’ based on state prosecution request that his court does not have jurisdiction over sexual offenses.
As the trial continued, Judge Willie also dismissed the charge of kidnapping against the defendant base on insufficient evidence produced by state prosecutors.
However, Judge Willie was expected to hand down the final ruling in the last count, which is Human Trafficking against the defendant, but FrontPage Africa gathered that he couldn’t because he was ill.
