Lawyers End Final Arguments In Treason Trial
Defendant Andrew Dorbor Handicaps At Temple of Justice Lawyers yesterday ended final arguments in the ongoing treason trial involving retired Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) Gen. Charles Julu and Col. Andrew Dorbor at the Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice.
In a tough show, the parties argued why the defendants should or should not be acquitted. In their charge to the presiding Judge Peter Gbenewelleh, defense lawyers cited six principle of laws in which they stated the accused did not contravene to be charged with the commission of treason by Liberian Government.
Atty. Morris A. Kaba one of the defense lawyers in his prayer, requested the judge to charge himself with variance, best evidence, relevance and contradiction, sufficiency of the evidence and corroboration.
Atty. Kaba said the fact that NSA personnel Nelson Jallah and Marc Amblah and another state witnesses' testimonies did not corroborate, proves that the charge against the accused was manufactured.
Marc in his testimony said Dorbor was arrested in a hotel in Ivory Coast, Nelson said Dorbor was arrested in Abidjan while Junior stated in his testimony that Dorbor was arrested in Geeglo at the residence of Wright Delafoss. But Attorney Kaba noted that the testimonies did not corroborate and are invariance.
The defense lawyers further contended that prosecution claimed of a video recording of a meeting between Delafoss, Dorbor and Gen. Kasarati for the purpose of purchasing arms and ammunition was done in Geeglo, said such recording which could have formed a cogent part of prosecution was never brought before the court.
He requested the court to ask herself two questions as to why was deposition not taken in the Ivory Coast after prosecution filed a motion for such deposition she claimed was germane to the case at bar. He also urged the court Government replied the Liberian Government as to the reason why deposition was never taken.
Attorney Kaba said the fact that deposition was never taken in the Ivory Coast creates doubt. And that in a criminal case, where doubt exists, such doubt should definitely operates in favor of the defendants.
“Your honor you are under legal obligation to set these two citizens free because the state had woefully failed to establish any evidence linking them to the crime charged”.
He further called on the court not to give credence to the investigative report that was admitted to form part of the court proceeding because it has never been testified to and confirmed by the court. “who cross examined them, I challenged the prosecution to say out of deposition whether they can bring any other paper to this court”. He stated.
Arguing why the defendants should be convicted, Atty. Samuel K. Jacobs representing the state told the court that prosecution has established a prima fasces case against the accused.
“The fact that Dorbor did not denied being arrested and interrogated in the Ivory Coast is a clear indication that the motive of his trip to the Ivory Coast was to solicit for arms, ammunitions, and military uniforms”, Samuel Jacobs stated.
The State gave notice to the court earlier that he was going to bring a rebuttal witness to rebut the testimony of Julu and Dorbor that they never met at the National Security Agency (NSA) or confronted each other while at the NSA, but failed to produce such rebuttal witnesses.
Atty. Jacobs yesterday claimed that a rebuttal witness was not important as the video clip at the NSA is the proof that the two met and confronted each other at the NSA.
Atty. Jacobs further contended that the fact that Ephraim Gaye and defendant Dorbor admitted arriving in Ganta the same day is sufficient to establish that the two were sent by Gen. Julu.
