By: R. Joyclyn Wea
MONROVIA-Magistrate Jorma Jallah of the Monrovia city court is to have tampered judgment with Montserrado County Senator Abraham Dillon, after failing to secure a US$1.5 million dollar criminal appearance bond to guarantee his release.
Magistrate Jallah noted that his decision was because he (Dillon) willingly turned himself over to the court after the lawsuit filed against him by Musa Hassan Bility, Chairman of his party (liberty party).
Court gives Dillon a condition to visit the court on a daily basis to sign in the attendance log until he is able to secure the criminal appearance bond in the tone of US$1.5 million.
Dillon on Monday, January 30, 2022, submitted himself to the court ahead of the official stipulated time given him to appear and file his vail criminal appearance bond, but he could not secure either a cash or property value bond up to hours.
Bility on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, filed before Judge Kennedy Peabody, Resident Circuit Judge of the Civil Law Court action of damages for libel and slander on his person by senator Dillon, hence he (Bility) is seeking not less than one million united states dollars in general damages to be decided by the jury.
Billy’s action comes less than a week after he threatened to release to the public unspecified damaging documents from the CPP chatroom, should the CPP current Chairman Joseph Boakai testify against him and Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress in their forgery case before the Monrovia City Court.
In an 11 count sue, Bility informed the court that between November, December 2021 up to January 15, 2022, Dillon became a target of blackmail, libel, slander, malicious stigmatization on social media purely found on the pillar of political agenda and ‘ill will’ by lying against his (Bility) good name and reputation when accused by Dillon of being a criminal fraudster.
Bility further told the court that Dillon in social, electronic, and print media publications decided to carry individual stories of ‘fraudster and criminality’ allegations against him, an account characterized by falsehood and lacks any factual sufficiency referencing FrontPage Africa, Ok FM, Spoon FM among others.
He claimed the action for damages for wrong predicated on libel and slander will lie against senator Dillon because the conduct of the lawmaker is wrong, untrue, and intended to, and has indeed caused incalculable material and psychological injuries to him.
He furthered that Dillon’s action also caused him degradation, embarrassment, inconvenience, mockery, social stigma, emotional distress, mental anguish, pains, and sufferings.
“Defendant intentionally decided to go against legislative ethics and the norms of civilized society governing, especially individuals who are lawmakers, defendant’s wrongful conduct in the above case, is legally justified to sustain this action of damages for wrong, predicated on libel and slander,” Bility alleges.
The liberty party official is also demanding Dillon to pay all legal fees and expenses associated with filing the prosecution of said action.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.