Monrovia – Alfred Sayplay, found guilty for murder and armed robbery, covered his face in shame as he was escorted out of the Temple of Justice to the Monrovia Central Prison by a group of police officers.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
Sayplay, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges during the trial, was Monday sentenced to 24 years in jail at the National Palace of Correction in Grand Gedeh County by Presiding Judge Geevon Smith of the Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice.
Three other defendants said to be accomplices of Sayplay during the reported commission of the crimes were also sentenced to 15 years each. Anthony Sopah, Jerry Paul and Tommy Nimely were accomplices of Francis.
“The act of the defendants who are herein adjudged guilty being a gross indifference to the life of Musa Kamara (victim) defendant Sayplay is hereby sentenced to 24 years high imprisonment at the National Palace of Correction in Grand Gedeh,” said Judge Geevon Smith.
Sayplay and seven other defendants were initially indicted by the Grand Jury of the 1st Judicial Circuit Court of Montserrado County and charged with murder and armed robbery.
The grand jury indictment alleged that on the night of March 26, 2013 the seven defendants concocted, planned and armed themselves with cutlasses, single barrel shot gun and other deadly weapons and went to the Clara Town Community where they armed robbed several homes including the home of the victim Musa Kamara who got killed in the process.
The trial of the defendants commenced on March 11, 2017 and when the defendants were arraigned and the indictment read, defendants Alfred Sayplay, Tommy Nimely, Jerry Puah and Anthony Sopah pleaded guilty and confessed judgment while the three other defendants pleaded not guilty hereby joining issues with the state to prove its case against them.
All of the four defendants also stated in open court that the three other defendants indicted in the case were no way part of the operation of March 26, 2017.
Thereafter, a motion was filed by the defense counsel Atty. Yarlor Saywon for severance (separate trial) for the three defendants that pleaded not guilty since their defenses were quite different from the four defendants who had pleaded guilty.
The court heard the motion but judge Geevon Smith ruled and denied the motion adding that the joint trial of all of the defendants will in no way prejudice the three defendants,
Prosecution produced three witnesses who testified that March 26, 2013 armed robbery in Clara town was carried out by the defendants in the dock.
At the end of the trial, jurors went to the room of deliberation and returned with guilty verdict against the four defendants who earlier confessed judgment and unanimous verdict for Robert Nagbe, Emmanuel Davis and Christopher Tugbeh, the three defendants also earlier pleaded not guilty.