Monrovia – Two laptops and desktop computers from the law firm of indicted Grand Cape Mount Senator, Cllr. Varney Sherman, have been received by the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice.
The set of computers, black in color, were taken to the court on Thursday afternoon by a lawyer from the law firm and taken to the court room of the Monrovia City Court where an officer of the Magistrate Court was seen taking inventory of the items.
“The computers were ordered to be brought to the court by the magistrate. What will be the next course of action will be determined by him,” said an officer from the Monrovia City Court who spoke on the basis of anonymity.
Magistrate Kennedy Peabody earlier on Tuesday ordered lawyers of Sherman & Sherman Law Firm to immediately surrender the laptops and computers in their possession to the court or else be jailed for three- days after he had fined them LD$10,000.00 each
His decision came shortly on Tuesday after bringing down a guilty verdict of contempt on five lawyers representing Senator Sherman.
The contempt charges against the five lawyers came about when the Sherriff of the court accused the lawyers of preventing him from searching the laptops and computers at the law firm which was one of the a mandate given him by the court.
The action of the lawyers, according to the court, was meant to obstruct justice and undermine the credibility of the court in the eyes of the public.
“In the absence of respect of the court, we lawyers are nothing, the responsibility of lawyer is so clear that we should do the simplest thing that will not undermine the court,” said Magistrate Peabody.
The writ of search and seizure to search the home and law firm of Senator Sherman was prayed to at the Monrovia City Court by the Special Presidential Task Force headed by Minister of State Without Portfolio, Cllr. Fonati Koffa.
The task force is being given the mandate to investigate those linked to the Global Witness report and push for prosecution of anyone when there is a probable cause.
The Special Presidential Task Force, which comprised of the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti- Corruption Commission (LACC), was set up by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to probe the Global Witness report which linked several former and current government officials including lawmakers to bribery.
Global Witness alleged that the government officials including lawmakers have received the bribes to change Article (75) of the Public Procurement and Concession Act to grant concession agreement to favor Sable Mining, a British Company.
House Speaker Alex Tyler and Senator Sherman have been the two lawmakers linked to the Global Witness report that have been indicted for bribery, economic sabotage, criminal facilitation and solicitation but the Special Presidential Task Force says the indictment of the two senior lawmakers is based on their refusal to appear before the Task Force.
Kennedy L. Yangian kennedylyangian @fromtpageafricaonline.com