Monrovia – Legislative colleagues of Rep. Morais Waylee said they cannot intervene in the rape case against Waylee because there’s no evidence that he raped a 13-year-old who later had a baby.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
Rep. George Mulbah (NPP, Bong County District 3) said if Rep. Waylee committed a crime, he should face the full weight of the law.
Rep. Mulbah was one of several lawmakers who were present at the Police headquarters negotiating the release of Rep. Waylee when he was apprehended by the Police.
The House of Representative doesn’t go in the streets to raise a case,’’ Mulbah said.
“The fact that we haven’t established evidence, we can’t remove him from his position as lawmaker.”
Grand Gedeh District #2 Morias Waylee was arrested by officers of the Liberian National Police (LNP) on Thursday, July 12, 2017 months after the FrontPageAfrica reported that he has raped his 13-year-old niece who prior to the time of the incident lived with him at his Careysburg residence, but the lawmaker has denied the claim.
In a press briefing following the lawmaker’s arrest Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman stated that though their investigation has not been able to establish that the lawmaker committed the act of rape, they were able to establish that the girl lived with the lawmaker, contrary to his denial that he never met her before.
The Police have also not been able to find the whereabouts of the minor and the baby.
“Today, we have arrested lawmaker Waylee over report that he raped a 13-year-old girl, but the girl is missing but he and his wife have denied that the girl ever lived with them but with species of evidence for now in the Police possession we are charging him with conspiracy and tempering with witnesses and investigation,” said Col. Coleman.
Prior to the announcement by IG an array of lawmakers went at the Police headquarter to release Waylee but were denied by Coleman.
Coleman disclosed that he was threatened by some of the lawmakers especially Rep. Mulbah who told him that a special session will be convened to file a ‘vote of no confidence’ in him.
An allegation which Mulbah denied saying “he was not interfering in Police matters simply because he stood by his colleague.”
The Police, he said, have not officially notified the House about the issue specifically since the closing of the criminal investigation and charges placed on Waylee.
‘We cannot act on hearsay and they say, and remove (Waylee),’’ he said.
“We can do it in line with the law. The court needs to write us, I will never support rape.”
“If the parents bring the case forward then it’s different. Kidnapping is a criminal offense. All the state has to do is write us and we will take an action against him,” Rep. Mulbah said.’
A state lawyer who asked for anonymity said the lawmakers didn’t need special communication from the Police to take a stand on the case.
“The rape allegation against Waylee and his subsequent arrest was public knowledge, so the Police had no reason to notify House members, after the investigation, he was arrested there is public knowledge, you called it historical facts, and the Police is not under duty to inform them that a member has been charged.”
Rep. Worlea- Saywhar Dunah of Nimba County District 7 accompanied lawmakers to Police with the hope of releasing Waylee to family members.
Dunah is the chair of Judiciary committee, where Waylee is a member and also the chair of human and civil rights.
Dunah accused the media of pushing the Police investigation that resulted in Waylee’s arrest.
The Police, he said, ‘violated the rights of a sitting lawmaker.’’ The case, he said, is inconclusive because Police do not have the facts.
“They don’t have evidence, the media has launched an investigative story against the lawmaker, and the LNP started an investigation for 3 months, and some of his humility was flaunted. Now they are at court.”
“If you have investigated for 3 months and no rape charge applied it is elementary, and since they haven’t found evidence why was the major conference. The criminal investigation is based on forensic evidence and not media headlines,” Dunah said.
He continued: “For me as a legal practitioner, the reason why they haven’t appear in the court and the reason the charge hasn’t been levied is because they have no evidence.”
Rep. Dunah said the House cannot sanction Waylee because Waylee is not indicted nor convicted “Why will the house sanction him for, we are talking about the criminal justice system and the house of legislature. If the media people don’t know that the Legislature is an organ of the law, when Hon. Waylee is indicted or convicted his humility are seized, We can’t passed judgment till the judiciary or the ministry decides.”
He said If Waylee is indicted, “you are talking about an investigation report based on media and we can’t act upon that.”
“The issue here is Mr. Waylee has been taken to court for 3 misdemeanors and kidnapping and we await the judgment from the court, we can’t act on a media report. We are not an alternative judiciary judgment if the media can run the judgment but we proceed on the basis of law.”
Rep. Dunah said the judiciary hasn’t cited the Ministry of Gender because the house has been on recess – “The house is on recess and now we still on recess and the possibility of the judiciary committee calling her over is high, the calling her over will be decided by the body. The house leadership will take care of the matter.”
He said the house is worry about the action of the Police on the session day, “the charges announced by the Police is a concern to us constitution announced the day a lawmaker should be arrested.
Dunah said “The house of representative is a rule making body, for law and order to be preserve it take the responsibility of the executive to enforce those rules, if the Police are in search of someone based on media reports, it left with the Police to work with the media house to find the person.”
He continued: “The house has not in any way interfered with Police function for the last 12 years, so ask the Police how well they have find the missing person.”
“They say the case is immolating from the media and certain facts there the case is not being file by the victim family.”
Meanwhile the Liberia National Police has paid fifty Unites States dollars in the account of the judiciary following a contempt charge by the Monrovia Magisterial court.
The contempt charge followed after magistrate Kennedy Peabody cited the Police boss to appear at the magisterial court on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at the hour of 9:00 A.M. to show caused why he should not be held in contempt by the court.
Waylee and wife Welleh Waylee were both released on an insurance bond that doesn’t carry a monetary value.
The criminal appearance bond in the possession of FPA shows that the both defendants are insured by the insurance company of Africa represented by its assistant vice president & non –life manager, Septimus Massaquoi as surety.
“Surety, do hereby bid ourselves and our representatives assigns and successors-in-interests of business jointly and severally unto the Monrovia city court, Temple of Justice, that the defendants will appear before the court to which said cause may be removed, to answer the charges of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, tampering with witness, and tampering with criminal investigation as per the writ of arrest issued by the clerk of court.’ The criminal appearance bond said.
The criminal appearance bond will remain on Rep. Waylee and wife until the court discharged or convict the two defendants