A man identified as Lawrence Matadi, who was arrested and charged with the crime of murder by the Liberia National Police and later forwarded to court, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by Criminal Court “A” Judge Boimah Kontoe, after been convicted through court proceedings.

Suspect Matadi was arrested by some officers of the LNP for allegedly murdering taxi driver Robert McGill on December 30, 2005 in the 72nd Community in Paynesville.

Judge Kontoe, after the guilty verdict by the jurors, handed down on October 6, 2006, handed down his ruling that finally landed behind bars. The defendant was present in court when the jury and the judge brought down the guilty verdict against him, leaving his eyes flooded with tears.

Defendant Matadi who was represented by Cllr. Chea Cheapoo as one of the defense counsels, was handcuffed by UNMIL police officers assigned at the Criminal Court “A” and escorted to the Monrovia Central Prison on Center Street in Monrovia.

Before the ruling by the court out of the concurrence with the jury, both counselors for prosecution and defendant had argued on law and facts in order to convince both jury and the judge as is normally the case in such proceedings.

However, the sentence to life imprisonment of suspect Matadi by Criminal Court “A,” according to the prosecution represented by Cllr. Samuel Jacobs, who is also Montserrado County Attorney, had been the wish of the government.

Immediately following the trial, Cllr. Jacobs told reporters in an interview that the murderer admitted to killing the late Robert McGill, although earlier testimonies in which the convict alleged having been gashed by the deceased could not be exhibited as evidence.

John Morlue Rescues UL Students
By McCarey Marshall

After the hustle and bustle on the campus of the University of Liberia for weeks as a result of the inabilities of students to make full settlement of tuition, what appears a savior has come to their rescue with nearly 60 students benefiting from payment by the Commission of the Bureau of Maritime Affairs, John Morlue.

Speaking to The Analyst newspaper over the weekend, the president for the Lofa County Student Union, (LUSU), Mr. Sylvester T. Umah, lauded commissioner for the kind gesture, hoping that the students would be able to enroll during the semester.

He mentioned that Hon. Morlue over the past semester was the highest donor of scholarships and has provided US$700.00 to the Union for the welfare of scholarship students.

Umah is quoted to have said that it was unfortunate to note that lawmakers from Lofa County were not performing to the expectation of citizens, describing their attitude towards students at the University as discoursing and not representative of championing the cause of the people.

Umah further described recent statement made by Gbarpolu County Senator Samuel Tormatie in the October 12, 2006 edition of The Analyst Newspaper, in which he called for the suspension of the UL entrance examination, as discouraging education in the country.

He dismissed the notion that the number of students currently enrolled at the University were large to the extent that others could not easily enroll, noting that the Fendell Campus serves as remedy to the problem.