Monrovia — Judge Gloda A. Bonah-Elliott of the Civil Law Court of Liberia has reached out to the Judicial Authority in the United Kingdom (UK) for international assistance in obtaining depositions, formal statements to be used as evidence, from two British citizens, Paul Harris and James Mason.
The statements from Harris and Mason are anticipated to be utilized in the ongoing $15 million damages lawsuit brought by Agense Reeves Taylor against defendants Alain Werner, a Swiss human rights advocate, and his Civitas Maxima organization based in Switzerland, as well as Hassan Bility, a Liberian. Other defendants include the Civitas Maxima organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP) in Liberia.
Bonah-Elliott stated that the case is scheduled for the March 2024 Term of her court in Liberia.
"The assistance requested entails the appropriate judicial authority of the United Kingdom compelling the appearance of the below-named individuals to provide evidence/produce documents in the damages suit. This court deems the requested assistance necessary in the interest of justice," noted the judge.
Before this request, Madam Reeves-Taylor sued the defendants, alleging that they conspired to have her prosecuted by UK prosecuting authorities, resulting in charges that were subsequently dismissed by the Central Criminal Court of the UK. The defendants countered the allegations by asserting that they lacked the authority to prosecute the plaintiff and that the decision to prosecute was solely made by UK prosecutorial authorities. "The witnesses to be deposed will provide testimony to support the defendants' defense. The list of questions by the defendants and cross-examination questions are attached and marked exhibit: #Dep 001 collectively to form a part of the instrument.
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The depositions are expected to take place between March 25-27, and all responses to the written questions shall be attached to the notice of deposition along with the written questions and security seal. The depositions, in an envelope titled with the case's action, shall be sent to the clerk of the court by registered mail, with copies distributed to all involved parties. The cost of the depositions shall be equally borne by the parties in these proceedings.
The case in Liberia escalated after the United Kingdom's Central Criminal Court dismissed seven counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture regarding Taylor's involvement with the rebel faction, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), during the first Liberian civil war from 1989 to 1996.
Madam Taylor believes that her arrest in June 2017 and subsequent release in 2019 were a result of witnesses sponsored by Civitas Maxima and Hassan Bility, founder of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), which partners with Civitas Maxima.
The case was dismissed when the UK Crown Prosecution Service failed to prove that the NPFL had the necessary authority over the relevant territory at the time the crimes of torture and conspiracy were committed, as claimed by Werner and Bility.
Reeves-Taylor's lawyer, Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi, is seeking $5 million as punitive damages and $10 million as general damages in the suit for alleged negligent investigation and malicious prosecution, based on claims that Werner and Bility provided false testimony against his client, Taylor.
