In Chinese Murder Case : Doctors' Report Declares Defendant Insane

By Ora Garway

A psychariat, Dr. Benjamin Harris has testified that defendant Mohammed Konneh who allegedly murdered Chinese Instructor Tiang Chang Yu, alias (Princess) last year is unfit at the moment to stand trial.

Doctors Harris and Guel Vogel sometime ago upon the instruction of the Criminal Court ”A” presided over by Judge Peter Gbenewelleh, carried out a medical examination of the defendant to determine his medical competency to stand trial. The two doctors submitted their findings to the court and were subsequently subpoenaed to appear to testify to the report and be cross examined lawyers.

Dr. Harris testified yesterday that his assesment of the medical fitness of defendant Konneh found out that the he cannot stand trial now based on his lack of full understanding of the nature and significance of the charges labelled against him.

The doctor stated that the defendant does not have the ability to effectively make a rationale choice relating to the consequences of the pleas. ”His inability to follow the proceedings in court, these deficiencies have been imparted upon by a number of disorders”, he stated.

Dr. Harris averred in his testimony that the defendant also lacks the ability to show remorse or feeling of guilt and sorrow. Folowing his testimony, the mark of identification was placed on the instrument testified to and identified by the doctor.

Meanwhile, Judge Gbenewelleh has ruled that defendant Konneh be committed to a medical home for treatment since he has been determined unfit at the moment to stand trial. He ordered that a periodic assesment of the defendant health be made to the court.

In the abscence of such medical, he pointed out that the defendant would be committed to the Monrovia Central Prison to be monitored, supervised, treated and accessed by a qualified psychartrait until he is fit to stand trial.

Judge Gbenewelleh also instructed that the Justice Minister to provide such facility or hire the services of a qualified psychatrait for the treatment of the defendant and make a periodic assesment to the court.