[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 29



LIBERIA:

'We Want Death Penalty for Armed Robbers'


Several speakers who attended yesterday's public hearing on the high wave
of armed robbery activities in the country have proposed the death penalty
for all forms of armed robber.

The speakers noted that armed robbery is a hideous crime that falls
directly under capital offense and therefore, must not be billable as was
done in the past something they noted that the armed robbers are
capitalizing on to continue the crime and go with impunity.

Giving an overview on the current Armed Robbery Act: Strengths and
Weaknesses, Cllr. M. Wilkins Wright of the Jangaba, Wright and Associates
said armed robbers subject their prey (victims) to great mental torture
and as such, alleged armed robbers should not be admitted to bail.

Cllr. Wright then called for an amendment in the Armed Robbery Act to
remove cases in which the defendants are admitted to bail. He said the
crime is a capital offense and a 1st degree felony under the New Penal Law
of Liberia that must carry the same penalty.

Cllr. Wright noted that the Armed Robbery Act has a graduated scales which
divided the punishment for the perpetrators as compared to punishment
under capital offense as enshrined in the new penal code. He sais there
seems to be a conflict in the Armed Robber Act on the penalty for the
perpetrators. He said the last 2 paragraphs of the Act provides for the
death penalty under certain condition.

He said penalty for armed robbers are different from other capital
offenses. He said the law must be in conformity with the general law under
capital offense which calls for the death penalty no matter under what
condition.

Other speakers described the act of armed robbery as very inhumane and
therefore the perpetrators must be punished by death. They rejected the
ideas of granting bail to alleged armed robbers but called for speedily
trial.

Cllr. T. Dempster Brown Chairman of the Liberia Coalition of Human Rights
Defenders blamed the Ministry of Justice for their lack of willingness to
persecute armed robbery cases. He said though government has several
persecuting lawyers, they are not willing to go to court to persecute
these cases.

He said presently there are 700 armed robbers detained in Liberian prisons
while government prosecuting lawyers are not showing any concern.

Meanwhile, legal experts who attended yesterday's public hearing including
Liberia's Solicitor General Tiawon Gnoglon are calling on victims of armed
robbers to go to court and follow their cases with substantial evidence
for persecution of their cases.

The lawyers and judges then called on community members and neighbors of
armed robbers victims to support them (victims) by following the victims
in court.

Yesterday hearing was facilitated by Grand Kru County Representative
Gbenimah Slopadoe. He lauded the experts for their professional advises
and promised that the Community Neighborhood watch team taskforce would
collaborate with them to curb the high rate of atmed robbery activities in
the country.

The hearing maily deliberated on the roles of the victims, judges and
Jury, persecution, the role of the defense, the role of the sentence and
the prison.

(source: All Africa News)