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Liberia: Judge Decides Treason Suspects' Fate
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The NEWS (Monrovia)
30 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Monrovia
The Judge hearing the treason retrial of two ex-Liberian army officers is expected to hand down verdict Thursday having listened to the final arguments between state prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday.
Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh will render his judgment which will eventually end the retrial of the treason case.
Yesterday's final arguments were dramatic as prosecutors and defense attorneys argued for four hours attempting to convince the judge on several legal grounds.
State prosecutors told the court that the retired army general Charles Julu and Andrew Dorbor had allegedly conspired to overthrow the government for which they must be found guilty.
Defense counsels resisted the argument propounded by the state, contending that the state failed to prove its case against the accused.
During the retrial, the state advanced seven witnesses including Junior Gaye, described by the State as an insider witness.
However, during the process, state prosecutors failed to produce two senior Ivorian security officers in court.
The testimonies of the Ivorian Regional Commander and the Chief of Staff of the Ivorian military were needed to corroborate the testimony of the state's insider witness, Junior Gaye.
Though an Ivorian Diplomatic Note dated March 17, 2008 was given state prosecutors to travel to Ivory Coast to get dispositions from the two officials, they were refused assess to the two men.
On their return they resorted to produce an investigative report in court and rested with its evidence.
The Defense then produced its three witnesses, retired Gen. Charles Julu, Col. Andrew Dorbor and another witness Ephraim Gaye, brother of the prosecutor's insider witness, Junior Gaye.
The defense witnesses both denied the coup plot and described the allegations as plans by government to eliminate them. Defense witness Ephraim Gaye alleged that his brother, Junior Gaye told him that government wanted them implicate the two coup plotters for US$3,000, but he refused.
He also denied taken Col. Dorbor to the Ivory Coast where he was to obtain arms and ammunition for the alleged coup plot.
However, having rested with evidence and final arguments, tomorrow's verdict will determine whether Judge Gbeneweleh will purge the accused of the charges or sustain the arguments of the state.
The treason retrial has taken up the entire February term of court including its chambers session.
During the first trial of the case, a twelve-member empanelled jury found Julu and Dorbor guilty. However, confusion erupted in the court when defense lawyers accused the government of bribing the jurors.
They later requested the judge for retrial which he granted paving the way for this final episode.
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Retired General Julu and Col. Dorbor were arrested in May 2007 in connection with an "alleged" plot to overthrow the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
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