MONROVIA – The Presiding Judge of Criminal Court “A”, Roosevelt Z. Willie, has denied the bill of information filed by lawyers representing District #10 lawmaker Yekeh Kolubah seeking medical treatment in Ghana again.
The bill of information was on Wednesday denied on grounds that the lawyers failed to submit said medical appointment for defendant Kolubah, before court, which is slated for February 14.
Judge Willie stated in his ruling that when the court granted Representative Kolubah two weeks medical leave to Ghana, earlier, upon his return the court ordered that he should report before court to sign the sheriff attendance book which he did, but did not submit the medical appointment obtained from the doctor in time but instead filed a bill of information when the trial is about to commence.
How be it, this Court cannot grant this medical travel because the trial of this case will soon commence and that this court was not notified as to another medical travel, Judge Willie pointed out.
In resisting the bill of information filed by defense lawyers, prosecution said the continued medical requests by the District #10 lawmaker is intended to delay his trial which is on the docket for this term of court.
Prosecution further stated that this has been the constant behavior of Kolubah requesting court for medical travel just to delay the trial.
Prosecution asserted that it has observed that whenever the trial of the case is about to commence, co-defendant Kolubah will claim his sickness has intensified, a practice which is not good.
Prosecution further prayed the court to deny the bill of information filed by defense lawyers seeking for another medial travel so that the trial can proceed.
But defense lawyers argued that that the defendant had an urgent trip to make to Ghana on February 14 to enable him see the doctor as scheduled.
“This request is in no way to delay this trial and therefore we pray this court to grant the bill of information for co-defendant Kolubah,” defense lawyers pleaded.
Lawmaker Kolubah reported to the Temple of Justice on Monday, December 2, 2019 to sign the Sherriff’s attendance record book, after the Court granted him medical leave to travel to Accra, Ghana for treatment.
On August 15, 2019, a bill of information was filed by lawyers representing Kolubah for the lawmaker to seek medical leave, stating that the defendant has been diagnosed with Hepatitis B and diabetes, which the court granted.
Kolubah and five others are charged with aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit murder, kidnapping, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation.
The lawmaker was accused of ordering his bodyguards to mercilessly beat a resident of his district who had refused to accept a leaflet and T-shirt for the June 7, 2019 street protest Kolubah and others were organizing against the government.
Police said they picked up six suspects on June 5 upon a distress call from Emmanuel Freeman and met him lying under a market stall opposite Rep. Kolubah’s house.
He was found lying naked and handcuffed, with wounds on his head and bruises on his body, the police said.
The police claimed the victim was tortured and flogged allegedly by Rep. Kolubah’s personal bodyguards and was rushed to the John F. Kennedy Hospital for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Judge Willie has denied co-defendant Kolubah bill of information seeking medical travel, therefore the trial is expected to commence upon notice of assignment.
