The prosecution witnesses in the on-going trial involving former EPS Agent, Patrick Kollie, continue to give conflicting accounts, as the preliminary investigation continues on the police charge sheet at the Monrovia City Court.
Second prosecution witness, Angel Johnson, in her account to the court on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 gave several conflicting accounts of what was reflected in the Liberia National Police (LNP) charge sheet.
In her account to the police, Angel Johnson, who claimed to be a girlfriend of the late Valentine Johnson, noted that contrary to what the first witness stated that Agent Kollie was seen in front of his vehicle, where he shot his arm, she in particular never saw the shooter, on ground that they were not within the main terrain of the commotion.
Johnson noted that, even though they were traveling in the morning hours, the sound she heard seemed like a firecracker.
Her latest statement of hearing a sound of tear gas also contradicted the report in the police charge sheet that she heard a sound that seemed like tear gas.
Angel Johnson further noted that she has no prior knowledge of the late Valentine Johnson and Agent Kollie being in any conflict before the incident, noting that the shot came as a shock.
“We were coming when I heard the sound, and when I look behind I saw my boyfriend bleeding and I said, ‘oh, that Valentine they shoot oh,’” Angel Johnson noted.
Johnson could not tell the court whether it was a gun, or whether it was Agent Kollie who shot the arm, as claimed by prosecution’s first witness, Paul Leayen.
She however admitted that there was an uproar that seemed like a commotion going on, and people were fleeing the scene, but said they kept going in the same direction of the commotion.
Angel Johnson said they were not going to the club, as stated by the first witness, but were headed to the home of the late Johnson.
Her latest brawling account brings to two the number of prosecution witnesses who continue to give contradicting statements to both the court and the police.
Prosecution first witness, Leayen, also made a statement at the court that conflicted with what was quoted to him in the police charge sheet.
According to the police charge sheet, the witness noted that Agent Kollie and some men believed to be criminals were into an argument when he went into his vehicle and shot behind them, at which time the shot mistakenly hit victim Johnson who was coming in a similar direction during the scuffle.
However, witness Leayen said that they were four in number, including victim Johnson, coming toward the Police Academy intersection when they heard those close to the scene escaping the scene and raising alarm, after observing that the defendant had an arm.
Defense lawyers, through it Spokesperson, Atty. George S. Mulbah, has maintained that his client mistakenly pull off the trigger of his arm while in a commotion with some men, believed to be criminals at the Police Academy intersection.
The incident reportedly occurred at about at 1:00 a.m., Monday, July 4, 2022, but the defendant escaped the scene and was later turned over to the Liberia National Police (LNP).
He appeared at the Monrovia City Court after being charged and sent to court on charges of murder.
The Monrovia City Court is not clothed with the authority to hear capital offenses, however, the defense has prayed for a preliminary examination into the matter.
The preliminary examination is not a trial; rather, a hearing to show whether the evidence provided by the state can prove murder.
Kollie has meanwhile expressed regrets over the killing of Valentine Johnson and asked the deceased family for forgiveness.
“We were fighting over my arm when it discharged one round, not knowing that someone was at the back,” he explained.
The deceased, according to the report, was riding a motorbike along with two other unidentified people when Agent Kollie allegedly mistakenly pulled the trigger.
According to Kollie, he has never known victim Valentine T. Johnson before, and that, as a trained security officer, it was not his intention to pull an arm towards anyone for no reason.
He maintained that the incident occurred mistakenly as a result of an attack from those he believed to be criminals.
Meanwhile, Agent Kollie is currently in pre-trial detention at the Monrovia Central Prison, awaiting court trial.
