The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) says it welcomes the bill of ignoramus filed at Criminal Court “A” against the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission’s Bill of Indictment for Wilmot Smith. The CSNL said it believes that the fight against corruption should not be targeted at individuals based on their political, tribal and religious affiliations.
The grand jury of Criminal Court “A” has returned a bill of ignoramus to the LACC because the court is not convinced that the LACC presented any evidence to warrant an indictment against Wilmot Smith, former Deputy Director General for Communication & Coordination at the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS).
The Civil Society Network of Liberia said it strongly believes that the LACC’s desire to indict Wilmot Smith is a political gimmick, allegedly sponsored by US-convicted criminal, Stanton Witherspoon, with the intent to neutralize Smith’s case against him and his Spoon TV currently before the Civil Law Court for Montserrado County.
On November 27, 2023, Civil Law Court Judge, His Honor Cllr. Kennedy Peabody, granted a bill of information filed by lawyers of Wilmot Smith on the fraudulent nature of the indemnity and surety bond filed by Stanton Witherspoon and Spoon TV in the action of damages for slander and libel case before the court. “The court’s ruling against Witherspoon has pushed him to use his proximity to President-elect, Joseph Boakai, in influencing the LACC to prosecute Mr. Smith in a case that has no evidence. It is dangerous that commissioners of the LACC seem to be acting in this direction as a way of protecting their jobs. The commissioners of the LACC need to understand that the action of damages for slander and libel case between Wilmot Smith and Mr. Stanton Witherspoon is a civil matter before the Civil Law Court of Montserrado County. Therefore, the LACC should not be used as an instrument of reprisal by Mr. Witherspoon against Mr. Wilmot Smith,” the CSNL said in a press release.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia told the LACC that they are aware that LACC prosecutors are trying by all means to have the grand jury change its decision from the “bill of ignoramus” to a “true bill”. But, The LACC needs to be reminded that witch-hunt is not one of the pillars of the rule of law, and cannot use criminal means in adducing evidence(s).
“The LACC needs to take cue from the bill of information issued by the Grand Jury which says there’s no evidence to satisfy the LACC indictment plea against Mr. Wilmot Smith and abandon the witch-hunt. President elect, Joseph Boakai has called for a peaceful Liberia void of witch-hunt based on political, tribal and religious attachments. Therefore, all institutions of the Liberian government, including the LACC, should follow in this direction, especially in adhering to the rule of law. We once more laud the grand jury of Criminal Court ‘A’ for protecting the rule of law by not giving into the political maneuverings of the LACC, and urge him to remain steadfast and unwavering in the dispense of justice for all.”