Monrovia – The Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has scheduled the trial of child rights advocate Abraham Keita for Thursday, June 8, 2017.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
A notice of assignment of the case issued through the magistrate police of the Monrovia Magistrate court Monday reads: “You are hereby commanded to notify the forthwith parties that hearing in the case criminal coercion is set for June 8th, Thursday at the hour of 9:00 am”.
Child rights advocate Abraham Keita was charged with criminal coercion by the Monrovia City Court based on suit filed by Grand Gedeh County Lawmaker (District #2) Morais Waylee after the child rights advocate organized a protest at the Capitol Building where he called on the lawmaker’s colleagues to have him investigated on allegation that he had raped and impregnated a 13-year-old girl.
Lawmaker Waylee has denied the claim, indicating that he does not know the minor in question and those making the allegation have no evidence to prove his guilt.
“I don’t know this girl. People who are making this allegation have nothing to show that I was involved in this act; I challenged them to provide the proof,” said Rep. Waylee.
Rep. Waylee told FrontpageAfrica that Keita had been allegedly paid by someone amplify the allegation against him.
Mr. Keita has denied being sponsored by anyone to push the case against the lawmaker, pointing out that prosecuting rape cases should not be selective based on who is linked to the crime.
Mr. Keita was last week held by the court on contempt charges on grounds that he refused to honor the citation issued by the court to come and answer to charges filed against him.
He denied the court’s claim that he refused to honor the court’s invitation.
Mr. Keita said that he could not appear before the court because he had received a death threat from an anonymous caller that he could killed, if he came around the court premises.
Last week Tuesday the court dropped the contempt charge against Keita after his lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe pleaded with the court that it was important to respect the court to restore its dignity therefore his client disobeyed the court, but pleaded with the court to pause the contempt charge because Keita acted out of lack of knowledge of the law.
Cllr. Gongloe plea with the court to pause the contempt charge was accepted by the Presiding Magistrate Kennedy Peabody who says that the court agreed to drop the contempt charge against Keita because he admitted being wrong and secondly Keita mentioned that he was a Muslim so the court was dropping the contempt charge against Keita because it was a week of Ramadan.
Abraham Keita told FrontpageAfrica that he welcomed the court’s decision to drop the contempt charge against him but looks forward to pursuing the criminal coercion charge.
“The lawsuit against me will in no way deter me in my advocacy as I am ready to defend myself with my evidence when the case is called for hearing,” said Keita.
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