-But Newspaper Editorial Board Responds to Court’s Summons
The First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C” for Montserrado County, presided over by Judge Blamo Dixon, on Wednesday, May 31, issued a Writ of Summon on the Management of the FrontPageAfrica newspaper, which is headed by Rodney D. Sieh. The court’s summon is for “Criminal Contempt of Court.”
FrontPageAfrica’s management is expected to appear before Criminal Court “C” Judge on June 13, 2023.
The Writ said “You are hereby commanded to summon the Management of the FrontPageAfrica newspaper by and thru its Managing Editor, Rodney D. Sieh, Lennart Dodoo, Newsroom Editor, Selma Lomax, Reporter, Henry Karmo, Reporter, Gerald C. Koinyeneh, Reporter, Christopher C. Walker, Reporter, Kadi Coleman Porte, Business Manager, Caroline Tanneh Ghartey, Business/Advertising, Albert C. Blamo, Production Manager, and all persons acting under the scope and authority of the FPA newspaper.”
Those named by the court have been summoned to “show cause if any, why they should not be held in contempt of court.”
The Writ continues, “That the defendant management is hereby summoned to show cause why Defendant Management should not be held in Criminal Contempt of Court and to establish and prove where, when, how and who received and splashed the US$500,000.00 around Judicial Circles to influence the Jury in the US$100 million cocaine case that was heard, determined and disposed by the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C” for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, as reported in Volume 17, Number 093 of the May 19, 2023 Edition of the FrontPageAfrica newspaper.”
The Writ furthers “You are hereby further commanded to serve this writ of summons for criminal contempt of court on the above name defendants and have your official returns endorsed on the back of the original copy of this Writ of Summons indicating form and manner of its service and for so doing this shall constitute your legal and sufficient authority.”
It can be recalled that FrontPageAfrica on May 19, 2023 published: “Shock Verdict: All Defendants Acquitted in High-Stakes Cocaine Trial, Raising Doubts on Liberia’s Justice System.” In the story, FPA said “The unexpected verdict has sparked widespread debate and raised questions about the efficacy of the prosecution’s case.”
The newspaper also mentioned that multiple sources confirmed to it that a sum of US$500,000 was splashed around judicial circles to influence the jury.
FPA Response
In response to this Writ, the FPA Editorial Board published “Liberia: When Justice Go Rogue in a US$100M Drug Bust, FPA Becomes Scapegoat”.
“OUR LAWYERS ARE preparing our response and our defense of the summons from Judge Blamo and his court – and we will defend our rights, protect our sources and will never relent in our pursuit of the truth and will continue to expose corruption and take on drug traffickers, money launderers and the corrupt.
“THIS IS OUR CONTRIBUTION to Liberia, and this is the only way we can ensure that Liberia does not return to its ugly past. We will speak truth to power and expose the corrupt – and the chips will fall, where they may.”
