The Kakata Magisterial Court in Kakata, Margibi County has denied a motion for Separate Trial filed by lawyers representing the legal interest of alleged murder suspects Senator Roland Kaine and 14 others.

	• Senator Roland Kaine

The court denied the motion on ground that it was impossible for defense lawyers to have filed two motions at the same time.  

Defense lawyers recently filed motions for Separate Trial and Preliminary Examination for their respective clients who have been accused of killing over 14 persons.

The court however granted the motion for preliminary examination and hearing into the case is to be heard on Saturday July 6,2008 at 10am and all parties were advised to be present and on time.

Solicitor General, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe in the ongoing murder case, represented the government of Liberia and family members including people believed to be strong supporters of alleged murder suspect Kaine witnessed the hearing.

The Margibi county junior senator (Kaine) and 14 others were arrested by state security and charged with the crime of murder for allegedly murdering over 14 Liberians in Ti-Mour Town between Grand Bassa and Margibi counties.

On June 7,2008 about 36 young men were hired by an official of the Ellen led government identified as Charles Bennie to work on his farmland located in Margibi county in a nearby town called Ti-Mour.

But unfortunately, over 14 of the 36 men hired by Mr. Bennie were reportedly murdered in cold blood by a group of men acting allegedly on the order of Senator Roland Kaine.

The defendants are currently been detained at the Monrovia Central Prison and they will be transported to Margibi county and back to Monrovia during and after the trial.

American Charity Groups Assist Locals

A four-man delegation headed by Robert Jerry Aiken from the International American Charity and Humanitarian Group, World Change for Children and their local partners, Tufeia Foundation and LEAD have ended a three-week trauma healing , education and humanitarian works in Grand Gedeh and Nimba counties respectively.

At the end of the week-long companion model of trauma counseling and reconciliation workshop in Zwedru, local government officials the training and expressed hope that their work would address the far-reaching problems of trauma healing experienced due to the 14 years civil war that caused thousands of deaths.

The local Grand Gedeh authorities say children are now feeling the effects of the war and are living desperately. They said children, not only in their county, but the entire country are living and acting contrary to the normal living standards and conditions of life.

The Grand Gedeh officials said urgent attention is needed if the children of Liberia are to serve as future leaders, and promised to do all they can to ensue that conditions of children are addressed to the letter.

The over thirty participants, including women, promised to teach others what they have learned and appealed to WCFC to implement the same program in other parts of the country.

In Duayee, Nimba County, the World Change for Children and the Tufeia Foundation dedicated the first Embrey Memorial Library in Gbehyee Clan, which consists of nine villages, and an estimated population of over fifteen thousand residents.

At the dedication program, the Vice President for World Change for Children, Dr. Jennie Gregory commended the Tufeia staff and described their visit as successful. She stressed the need for both the international and local partners to take very seriously the issues of corruption and accountability.

Dr. Gregory expressed hope for the children of Liberia because according to her, her organization is focused on the needs of children as compared to other international groups.

She said a total of over thirty five thousand US dollars was used throughout their mission, and that as part of the organization’s immediate projects, several educational scholarships would be given in addition to the building of a rice mail.

Also speaking, the Principal of the Duayee Public School, Joseph Gaye said the villagers were grateful for the library, and added that it would greatly improve the reading and educational standards of residents of the nine villages who would use the facility.

The World Change for Change delegation was in Liberia at an invitation from their local partner, Tufeia Foundation, based in Nimba County. It is part of a dream to help the locals carry out a five-year educational, health and humanitarian plan, which include the production of rice under their peace garden project.