The NEWS (Monrovia)
4 July 2008
editorial
Monrovia — It has been nearly a week now since it was learnt that the Magisterial Court had prepared a writ to be served on Grand Bassa County Senator Nathaniel Innis to answer to charges of "Aggravated Assault."
Senator Innis is said to have physically assaulted a woman last month, brutalizing her to an extent where she sustained bruises on her cheeks and lips. The Senator then blamed "satan and the devil" for his brutal acts against the woman.
But the Sheriff responsible to serve the writ told reporters this week that he had not served the writ on the Senator because he did not know him.
Interestingly, Senator Innis visited the Temple of Justice this week where the Magisterial Court is located and he also reportedly went to the County Attorney's office but without being served with the writ.
When Magisterial Court Stipendiary Magistrate Wondah Sondah was asked Thursday about the status of the writ, he astonishingly told reporters that he was not aware of the writ.
A scenario in which a Sheriff would obtain a writ to be served on someone without the knowledge of the magistrate or judge is anyone's guess.
But the fact that Senator Innis is now pleading with his colleagues to intervene to avoid him being arrested is sufficient ground to believe that indeed a writ is out for him which he has apparently been dodging.
His communication to the Senate indicates that an arrest warrant was out for him, and as such, he was requesting his colleagues to do everything to protect him from arrest.
We think the Senator is not utilizing the most appropriate channel in addressing his problem.
Although it is good that Senator Innis has acknowledged that the court is after him to answer to charges, but the most appropriate and honorable thing to do as a lawmaker, and not a lawbreaker, is to avail himself to the court.
And let it be known that the influence of public officials and business executives must never be allowed as leverage to elude justice.
We therefore urge the Magisterial Court to exert more pressure in bringing Senator Innis to face the law.
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I must whole heartedly concur with the previous writer, “Bravo the Media”! By putting this situation out in the open where all can ‘see’ what is happening, the media is indeed strengthening the democratic ideals of Liberia. It seems not long ago an international study found that the rule of law, the courts, in short, Justice, was still lacking. With the media putting a spotlight on the problem, even if it is a ‘big name’ or ‘title’, than Justice will not only prevail, it will help prevent future occurrences. Is Senator Innis guilty? That is for the courts to decide and not to be handled in the ‘old ways’, for those are methods that brought about such destruction and misery on the people. Bravo Liberian Media, Bravo!
This is ridiculous for a sheriff to indicate that the purpose of not being able to serve a senator-turn-lawbreaker is that he does not know the senator. First of all the senator is a public figure with his office located at the Capitol Building Secondly, he has home where he lives. These are two areas the writ may be served. If he can not be found any of these places then he might be eluding justice. So the next step is to make him a wanted man through public display such as using posters, radio and television broadcast. I definitely know that the senator may not want things to get to that level. He will appear in court once the writ is presented at any of the places indicated above. The sheriff should know that he is a civil servant and not a politician. This is one of the area the power of the servant comes from and he should not disappoint the trust and confidence bestowed on him through his office. He remember that thousands of lives were lost because of justice and he must not thrash the public trust because the senator is not above the law and must never be allowed to be above the law. We thank the media for giving publicity to this issue and urge that they should not rest demanding his prosecution until the senator appears in court to answer to the charges of aggravated assault. Bravo the media. This will be clear manifestation to over two hundred thousand Liberians who died in the brutal civil war that their blood and the blood of other faith departed will have purpose and meaning-Liberian is being delivered from cronyism.