The Justice-In-Chambers at the Supreme Court of Liberia, Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie has handed down final ruling into the petition for a writ of Certiorari recently filed by the Government of Liberia in the ongoing Economic Sabotage Case.

	• Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie

Associate Justice Wolokollie in her ruling, handed down yesterday, disbanded the 15-man empanelled jury initially set aside by the court.

Though the basis of her ruling was not made available up to press time, it might have been that she succeeded in establishing truth in the allegation of bribery leveled against the jurors by Prosecution.

Recently, lawyers representing the legal interest of the state filed a petition for a Writ of Certiorari before Justice-In-Chambers Cllr. Wolokollie alleging that one of the jurors received clothes from an unknown person.

In one of its several accounts in the petition, the state also alleged that the Bailiff assigned to the jurors bought and supplied alcoholic beverages for the jurors.

The prosecution complained to the Justice-In-Chambers in its petition that one of the jurors used cell phone in the jury room to communicate with an unknown person.

The Petition for a Writ of Certiorari was filed against the Presiding judge Samuel Geevonsmith in the Economic Sabotage Case for denting a motion to investigate the alleged jury tempering.

With the disbanding of the jurors, it is now clear that a new trial and new group of jurors will have to be put into plac.  It has been established by this paper that Judge Geevonsmith, who is currently presiding over the case, is likely to be resigned to another court, to allow a new judge to take over Criminal Court-C.

Five former officials of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) are currently facing trial for allegedly stealing over US$3m from government’s coffer

Sando Johnson Begs For Arrest
Briefly turns himself over to Justice Ministry, but what crime did he commit?

 The head of the family of detained ex- President Charles Taylor, Sando Johnson, at about 7pm yesterday ran to the Ministry of Justice on Ashman Street to, as he said “turn himself over to the government,” but Solicitor General Gongloe said Johnson is not wanted by the state.

Johnson, a former representative for Bomi County in the National Patriotic Party (NPP) led government and a crony of former President Taylor told journalists that the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice ordered his arrest in Kakata, Margibi County, for no justifiable reasons.

He said he alone with Senator Abel Massaley of Grand Cape Mount County had gone to Kakata to witness the murder trial involving Senator Roland Kaine. He said the government ordered his arrest because he spoke against government for illegal trespassing in the resident of former president Taylor.

	• Cllr. Taiwon Gongloe

According to him, police officers in Kakata attempted to arrest him in Kakata, but that he resisted and managed to escape.

Displaying a torned shirt, Johnson said he had gone to the Justice Ministry to turn himself over to government because he does not want to be manhandled by police.

The former Bomi lawmaker alleged that the National Security Minister, Cllr. Peter Bonner Jallah, Jr. and other officials at the Justice Ministry were behind the attempts to arrest him.

“This government and madam Sirleaf are operating criminally. They are going after peaceful citizens. Look, see how the police people tore my shirt,” he said.

According to him, the authorities at the Ministries of Justice and National Security have been tailing him since his arrival yesterday in Kakata to witness the Kaine trial.

He noted that Madam Sirleaf and the UP-led government have failed the people, and that they are using him and others as scapegoats for the government failure, and portraying them as enemies of the state.

“There is nobody stupid in this government to arrest me. I will resist any attempt by this government to have me arrested when I have committed no crime”, he said. However, the Solicitor General, Cllr. Taiwon Gongloe, who is acting as Justice Minister, rubbished Johnson’s claims.

Gongloe told journalists that he was not aware of anything to arrest him and that he got the news on Star Radio that the government ordered the arrest of Sando Johnson. Cllr.Taiwon Gongloe said he met Johnson at the Kaine trial in Kakata, and added that there were no information concerning his arrest, or that he had any confrontation with government to warrant his arrest order.

Cllr. Gongloe said authorities at the National Police Headquarters including Margibi Police Commander and the County Solicitor in Kakata could not say anything to the claims of arrest.

“They informed me that there is no writ of arrest from the court or any arrest order whatsoever for Mr. Sando Johnson. The government has not issued any arrest order for Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a free man, not a wanted man. This government will not go after any peaceful Liberians like Sando Johnson,” he concluded