A one-day symposium aimed at building the capacity of lawyers prosecuting human trafficking cases took place over the weekend at the Ministry of Labor in Monrovia. Speaking during the symposium, the Chairman of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia, Labor Minister, Cllr. Charles H. Gibson, said that the symposium is to strengthen lawyers involved with TIP cases to apply tools that will not make them vulnerable to defendants.
Minister Gibson said that it is necessary for lawyers and prosecutors to continuously read and consult in order to enrich the fight against human trafficking in Liberia.
He said that the fight against trafficking in persons is not only for perceived victims, but also the accused. He said that it should not be about going around arresting or accusing everyone for human trafficking, considering that the minimum penalty is 20 years.
“If prosecuting lawyers review the files and realize that the ground to prove TIP is not in evidence, they should not force it, because sending somebody to 20 years imprisonment is like a life sentence. The current law does not give discretionary power to Judges; it is mandatory,” Min. Gibson noted.
He encouraged TIP lawyers to also secure the rights of those who are being accused, and should not prosecute solely because of wanting to win a case.
“It’s better for prosecutors to consult when charge sheets are prepared looking at the evidence; we are for justice and not just to win cases,” he noted.
He said that the TIP Taskforce will not take to court a case without sufficient evidence. “We are not going to put someone in jail because we want to prove a point,” he stated.
Minister Gibson explained that this is the second symposium for the training of prosecutors; as a result, the Taskforce has had four prosecutions and won all—meaning that the symposiums are paying off.
He thanked the facilitators, prosecutors and partners for successfully holding the symposium.
Facilitators of the symposium outlined the differences between trafficking in person and migrant smuggling, as well as the three elements that constitute TIP. They said in order for a TIP case to exist, prosecutors must first identify the “act (what is done); means (how it’s done) and purpose (Why it’s done or type of exploitation)”.
Also speaking at the symposium, the Country Manager of International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Dorah C. Mafabi, thanked Minister Gibson, the facilitators, prosecutors, representatives of CSOs and the TIP Secretariat for their commitment in the fight against trafficking in person in Liberia.
The symposium was facilitated by His Honor Roosevelt Z. Wille, Resident Judge, Criminal Court “A”, Cllr. Nelson B. Chineh, Training Director, Judicial Institute, and Cllr. Comelius Wemah, Resident Judge, Sexual Offense, 9th Judicial Circuit Court, Bong County.
The symposium brought together prosecutors of the Ministry of Justice, including county attorneys, police investigators, the US Embassy, IDLO, representatives of CSOs and officials of the TIP Secretariat.