The NEWS (Monrovia)
Alloycious David
7 May 2008
Monrovia — The House of Representatives Tuesday passed into law an Act seeking to make Armed Robbery, Terrorism and Hijacking non-bailable crimes and punishable by death.
Prior to the passage of the Act sponsored by Representative Edward Forh, and co-sponsored by Representatives Rufus Neufville of Monrtserrado County and Elijah Seah of River Gee County, some lawmakers argued that there are laws already on the books making armed robbery a non-bailable offence, and as such, there was no need to come out with a new law.
The lawmakers said it is important to ensure that laws on armed robbery be enforced to curtail the commission of the crime, which has resulted in several deaths and the loss of properties.
Some lawmakers blamed the Judiciary Committee for its failure to research as to whether there exists a law on armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking before passing a new law.
Section 14.54, 15.32 and 15.33 of the proposed Act provides that individuals convicted of terrorist act, armed robbery and hijacking will be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than 15 years with possibility of parole after 8 years or after serving three quarter of the sentence in the case of higher sentence.
The Act also provides for a longer penalty on peculiar facts and circumstances of case, and where there is no death, rape, property damage or personal injury as a result of any of the offenders.
The drafters of the Act also recommended that anyone who is convicted of armed robbery; terrorism and hijacking shall be sentenced to life imprisonment with possibility of parole at the age of 90 years.
According to the Act, in the event of death during the commission of armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking, the accused convicted under section 14.54 and 15.32 and 15.33 shall be sentenced to death by hanging in public place designated by trial court or life imprisonment without parole.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 The NEWS. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
BRAVO! Ramsey, Beautifully Written in my view. If I am not mistaken, it was Ellen, that said "GO AND SIN NO MORE" AFTER THE NOT GUILTY VERDICT OF JULU AND DORBOR. DR.PELLAR
The activities of daily living in Liberia in term of social, economic and political interplay just seem to be survival for the fittest style of living in the jungle. Liberia should not be a place where people will sit on beer tables and make law in their own ways of thinking. We need thinkers, visionaries and people who reflect or retrospect before speaking out. I admonish all Liberians in positions at this time to be very mindful of how to conduct themselves in regards to their various divisions of labor. We are at a crossroad in the history of our nation. I don’t think we need people in higher offices learning on the job when we have capable people on hand to deliver the services. Can this really be true that all the members of the House of Representatives were not aware of the sections quoted below?
“Some lawmakers blamed the Judiciary Committee for its failure to research as to whether there exists a law on armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking before passing a new law. Section 14.54, 15.32 and 15.33 of the proposed Act provides that individuals convicted of terrorist act, armed robbery and hijacking will be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than 15 years with possibility of parole after 8 years or after serving three quarter of the sentence in the case of higher sentence”
The above quotation indicates negligence on the part of some of those who sit in higher places in government. Do you find it difficult reading handbooks of instructions? You need to read everyday, make researches, and make sound decisions for the benefit of those you serve (For the people and by the people). Try putting your brains to work than just sitting behind the desks and awaiting salaries at the end of the month. A law is glue that holds a nation together, it is the bible, it is the mirror we all face to see the spots, to see the wrongs and the rights we do and by which we make judgments. Those lawmakers who spotted your wrong direction you are taking on armed robbers, searched in the same mirror (law books) you failed to search to do the right thing. If you were given position for which you are not worth, ask for another one or study and work hard to deliver the goods and services in those dedicated positions. The sections quoted are very useful and we can use that to innovate means to make it more useful for our days in facing the present situation in Liberia. I want to take this time to suggest that those caught in armed robbery cases that do not involve death can be used in other beneficial ways than just having them in jail and wasting money to care for them. I suggest that the Liberian Government should allocate a big farm land area to construct the prison camp so that while these guys are in jail, they can use them to help grow more food for themselves and the surplus be marketed to benefit the Liberian people and even those they robbed. If these guys learn the principles of hard work while they are in jail, some of them might come out of jail to be useful citizens. There is a need for these guys to replenish the losses they incurred upon others and at the same time helping themselves. Jailing these guys and freeing them after awhile is just going to make this worst because they will go back to their old ways. There is a need to change their mentalities. I could be wrong, but keep thinking about this suggestion.
Another case is the comment the presiding judge of Criminal Court ‘A’ made after his pronouncement of the non- guilty verdict concerning the treason trial of Charles Julu and Andrew Dorbor. “Go and sin no more” We have to be very mindful when we use quotations. Probably Peter W.Gbeneweleh did his best, but the quotation brings lot of questions in the mind of the Liberian people which he can not answer because all Christians and other scholars know while Jesus Christ made the pronouncement to the prostitute to go and sin no more. In the Bible, the context of the story explains that it was true that the prostitute did the act, but those that accused the prostitute were not clean of some sinful natures and most importantly Jesus Christ did not come into this world to punish or condemn people for their sin, but to help people transform their lives from good to bad. This could be my interpretation and the interpretation of other Liberians will go on and on. Judges and lawmakers need to calculate their statements and comments both in and outside their offices.
To the Liberians especially those who feel they can read, write and articulate well. We should also be mindful when we use blanket words. When John Brown is involved in an act, let it be John Brown’s act and not the Mandingoes, Krahn or Kpelle people because John Brown belongs to either of the tribal groups. Also, people in Liberia feel there are only two sets of people- Muslims and Christians. That another name for Mandingoes is Muslim. There are Mandingoes who do not know the road to the mosques and there are other people who do not know the road to church. When an incident occurred between a Mandingoes man and non-Mandingoes, somebody is quick to say the Muslims people are attacking the Christians or the opposite. Let us be aware that World War 1 and 2 started between two individual nations and it escalated. Somebody took got on the Internet and took this whole treason trial as Krahn business. Is Dorbor a Krahn man also? Can’t we learn from the reflection of mistakes? Let us stop using tribal or religious groups’ name when we cause trouble as individuals. It is just too easy to start a fire. A spark is just enough in the gasoline station. We have our love ones in Liberia and some of us pray and fast for that nation.
To the various security apparatus in Liberia, there is a need for efficiency and accuracy within the system. Know your 5 W’s and 1 H (Who, what, when, why, where, and how). The state securities were involved in the latest treason trial and stated there was evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubts. Where is the tape? This situation is an embarrassment to the Liberian people and the president who stands at the frontline of accepting and making crucial decisions. The same message that goes to the securities goes to the journalists too.
For God sake, we need peace in this small land. This could be the only chance we have to grow out of our stupid and senseless war we fought. Let us keep doing what is right and God will bless us. The international communities have been doing well for us from every angle. Let us work together diligently to maintain the peace we have now.
Ramsey Mulbah Rammulbah@yoo.com