Report by Massa Kanneh_masskanneh4@gmail.com
MONROVIA: City Court Magistrate Jomah Jallah has reserved ruling into a Motion for Bill of Information requesting the court to return Honorable Yekeh Kolubah’s Vehicles that were seized by Police during January 6th Anti Government Protest.
During argument in the City Court, on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, Counselor Findley Karnga said Hon. Kolubah was not the one arrested and charged and as such, his Properties need to be given back.
Counselor Karnga argued that it was Honorable Kolubah’s Driver Aaron Kennedy who has been charged and is present when needed during the case in court.
He said any attempt to deny said Motion seeks to silence the opposition critical voice.
Meanwhile Counselor Findly Karnga alleged of receiving numerous calls and threats from unknown individuals for his decision to pursue cases on behalf of Representative Yekeh and his Driver.
During Counter argument, the State through the Ministry of Justice, requested the Court to take judicial notice of the Police Charge sheet, the Vehicles and Gun.
Montserrado County Attorney Edwin Martin warned that the Court was not a Political ground, where a Lawyer comes to Court and cited no Laws, but talks in ambiguity.
Cllr. Martin said If the Car is turned over, the evidence in the Criminal case would be jeopardized.
Attorney Martin argued that the court should deny the Motion for Representative Kolubah’s properties to be returned as the properties are evidence of the State.
Rep. Kolubah, a key member of the Council of Patriots (COP) was one of the thousands of protesters that were sprayed with water cannon and teargas by the Liberia National Police (LNP) on January 6,2020.
In the police Inspector General Sudue’s account, the vehicles were abandoned by protesters at the entrance of the Capitol Building and they (LNP) drove them to their Police Headquarters, which is within the same vicinity. According to him, there he immediately ordered his officers to search the vehicles and while they were searching that was when they allegedly found the arms and ammunitions along with a knife and other deadly objects in the lawmaker’s official car marked ‘HOR 65.’
Based on the discovery of the weapons, IG Sudue said he immediately halted the exercise and ordered his men to call the press to continue with the search in order to ensure transparency in the process.
“There were three vehicles that left behind, so we thought it wise to bring them at the basement and we checked the loading tuck and the white pickup, and we saw something like a fire arm,” he explained.
He continues: “So immediately, I put a halt to the search and asked that we called the press to come in and when the press came in, we took the weapon out and everybody saw the weapon with a knife. And in your presence we searched the second vehicle and one 9 millimeter pistol was found under the rug of the vehicle right in your own presence.”
