Criminal Court 'A' Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie has chosen AMI Expeditionary Healthcare Medical Center to conduct medical examinations on five defendants in the Capitol Building arson case after the accused alleged they were tortured and sodomized by state security officers.
The defendants, including Christian Kofa, John Nyanti, Thomas Isaac Etheridge, Stephen M. Broh, and Eric Susay, had previously rejected the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, citing mistrust of the government-run facility. Defense lawyers argued that AMI is effectively an extension of JFK and, therefore, not independent.
In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Willie said the AMI facility on 1st Street, Sinkor, opposite the UN Building, had been selected for the examinations, which must be completed and results submitted by September 17 at 3 p.m. "The AMI Expeditionary Healthcare Medical Center is an internationally acclaimed institution and operates in several countries, including the United States, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Liberia," the judge stated. He ordered the Ministry of Justice to cover all costs associated with the examinations.
The court stressed that while JFK and Redemption Hospital are traditionally used for inmate medical care, defendants have the right to challenge medical findings or seek Supreme Court intervention if dissatisfied.
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Judge Willie fined seven defense lawyers for contempt after prison authorities reported that attorneys instructed their clients to boycott the JFK examination. Cllrs. Arthur T. Johnson, M. Wilkins Wright, Jonathan T. Massaquoi, J. Quiwoe Dennis, Siafa Mai-Gray, and James N. Kumeh were each fined US$100, while Atty. Wilma Blaye Simpson was fined US$50. The judge ordered that all fines be paid into the Judiciary Account by September 16 at 2 p.m.
"You do not tell your clients not to obey the order of the Court because you have remedy at law," Judge Willie told the lawyers, citing the option of filing for certiorari or prohibition before the Supreme Court.
Defense lawyers, led by Cllr. Wright, rejected the ruling, arguing that AMI's ties to the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia National Police undermine its neutrality. They also objected to being fined, claiming the contempt finding was based on hearsay from the Sheriff's report rather than direct evidence.
The defense cited the case of co-defendant Etheridge, who collapsed during interrogation and was treated at AMI, which diagnosed him with malaria rather than acknowledging alleged torture injuries. According to them, the defendants do not trust the integrity of AMI, which they say is no different from JFK, and examinations should be conducted at a fully independent medical facility unconnected to the government. They further argued that the Sheriff's return, which claimed lawyers advised their clients not to attend the JFK exam, amounted to hearsay since it relied on statements from the Monrovia Central Prison superintendent, who was not called to testify.
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Judge Willie noted that the case cannot proceed until medical results are returned, since the torture allegations form a factual issue outside the court's legal determination. "The medical doctor will have to tell us whether the allegation is true or not; therefore, we cannot proceed without the report," he ruled.
The prosecution raised no objection to the defendants' request for an independent medical examination, paving the way for AMI's involvement despite defense resistance.
