Monrovia – Criminal Court ‘A’ Judge, Roosevelt Z. Willie has sentenced Pastor Revival Wobo Sam to 10 years imprisonment for trafficking a 12-year-old girl, JMF, now 15 to Nigeria in 2016 without her parents’ consent.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh-00231775524647 / [email protected]
Judge Willie came down with the final ruling against Pastor Sam on Monday, April 1, 2019 after staying 14 months, nine days behind bars.
According to Judge Willie’s ruling, Pastor Sam will spend eight years behind bars, and two years on probation rendering community services.
“In view of the investigative report, the facts and circumstances in this case and the laws controlling, the unanimous guilty verdict of the trial jury is hereby affirmed and confirmed and Defendant Prophet Revival Wobo Sam is hereby sentenced to ten (10) years imprisonment.”
The ruling adds: “Notwithstanding and consistent with the probation investigative report, which speaks positively of Defendant Prophet Revival Wobo Sam prior to the commission of this crime, the Defendant will spend eight (8) of those years behind bars, while the rest of the two years will be spent out-door rendering community services. This two-year community services provision will be supervised by prison authorities and will depend on good behavior as will be reported by them”.
According to the ruling, Pastor Sam was found guilty of human trafficking in violation of Article 28 of the 1986 Constitution, and section 14.70 of the Penal law of Liberia which, according to Judge Willie provides that, “The age of consent or maturity is 18 years and above, and that anyone below the age of 18 years does not have the capacity to consent” as in this case.
But Article 28 of the Constitution which falls under Chapter IV, Title Citizenship, states that: “ Any person, at least one whose parents was citizen of Liberia at the time of the person’s birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia; provided that any such person shall upon reaching maturity renounce any other citizenship acquired by virtue of one’s parent being a citizen of another country”.
On the other hand, Section 14.70 of the Penal Law of Liberia states that: “A male who has sexual intercourse with a female not his wife has committed rape if: He compels her to submit by force, or by threat of imminent death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping, to be inflicted on any human being; Has substantially impaired her power to appraise or control her conduct by administering or employing without her knowledge intoxicants or other means with the purpose of preventing resistance; or The female is less than 16 years old, provided the actor is sixteen years of age or older”.
After the ruling, Defense lawyer, Cllr. T. Joseph Debblay excepted the judge ruling and took an appeal to the Supreme Court for further determination in the case.
In an interview with FrontPageAfrica, Cllr. Debblay said he is convinced that the Supreme Court can overturn Judge Willie’s ruling in favor of his client.
“I excepted the final judgement and announced an appeal to the Supreme Court. The battle just started because we always have confidence in the five wisemen up there, so when one person rules against you, there is remedy. I’m convinced that the Supreme Court can overturn the judge’s ruling, because in this instance, it was the parents of the child who deliberately, voluntarily and willingly turned the child over to the defendant,” Cllr. Debblay added.
Pastor Sam was indicted on January 22, 2018, on three counts, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Statutory Rape.
According to the indictment, Defendant Sam was forwarded to court for allegedly trafficking, kidnapping and 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, leaving with the charge of Human Trafficking.
