Bill Jarkloh Opens Up

Letter of the Day: Journalist, Accused Rapist Takes Issue with Liberia’s Rape Law06/11/08 -

Bill K. Jarkloh, jloplehdee@gmail.com

The Editor,

Firstly, I write FrontPageAfrica to establish the flaws of the new rape law and as well to state how draconian it is. Let me mention that the new Rape Law has become an instrument for revenge against people. Several others who do not have the means to fight rape cases are languishing behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison without trial simply because one landlord or some adversaries use rape to settle scores. Dozens of them on rape charges do not have the opportunity to be heard because of the sentiment factor and the negligence on the part of the state to prosecute them. Some have over stayed from six months to two years.

Some of them, like it was in my case, may be innocently accused. And all because rape is not bailable, they suffer innocently as they are dumped behind bars. This attitude defy justice and the rule of law, which is on the lips of this government; and unless people accused are tried expeditiously, the quest for justice will just amount to lip service and a deceit that has the propensity to mislead the international community about good governance which cannot obtain in the absence of justice.

It is no doubt that rape is heinous and deserves harsh punishment. But it is now being used to witch-haunt because the accused will be tied down in prison without the opportunity to fight back for his defence simply because he is not entitled to bail. Some people have no real relatives or family to fight for them. They fight for themselves when they are accused. Being accused for a crime that is not bailable - like murder or treason - as in the case of this proliferated rape charges paralyzes one’s ability to defend himself against his accusers.

I therefore conclude here that the new rape law must be reviewed so as to give it a new dimension that will prevent criminal-minded individuals from using the crime, rape, to tarnish the reputation of innocent people simply because they want them destroyed, or because they want them perpetually incarcerated.

This was the situation with me recently when I was thrown into the Monrovia Central Prison on the Rape/Sodomy Charges orchestrated against me by those who want to see me destroyed or kept in jailed. But thank God that my innocence is being established, and that God knows and sees all things and will continue to plead my cause and vindicate me.

Dislike for FPA, Editor

But I must register my dislike of how FrontPageAfrica initially treated me when Sorbor George who is petty about me for material things, things which I have acquired through hard work, masterminded allegations of Rape/Sodomy against me. The FPA went about placing my name on the internet when the Editor was in Monrovia and could have contacted me at the Central Prison or my family through Josephus Moses Gray to get a better understanding of the situation.

In the first place, the little girl who is the victim at every forum testified not my name, but that of one Lincoln who she said abused her in a Video club. She even made this very testimony to the Chief Justice when the Police took her to court for the first time in front of a mammoth crowd. It was the girl's mother Janjan who was being used by Sorbor George and the Chief Justice to accuse me. Even when she was being coerced to testify my name at the Criminal Court "B" by Judge Evelyna Quaqua, she was convinced by the Spirit of God through my innocence that she broke into tears and refused to say a word.

Preliminary investigation at the City Court was consistently avoided for the three weeks I spent in jail by magistrate Moses Sondah M. Wondah because such a hearing would have revealed my innocence and resulted into my release from detention even before the day they released me. All this travesty of justice was meted to me because the Rape/Sodomy Charges were pronounced against me by Chief Justice Johnny Lewis who ordered the magistrate to serve the arrest warrant against me.

For that same reason the Criminal Court "B" Judge which I thought could give me justice avoided handing down ruling requesting admittance to bail in favor of me for lack of evidence; the judge and the girl's instead was coercing the girl to call my name as her abuser, but God maintained my innocence and little Love Samuels broke into tears and could not incriminate me.

It was against this background my lawyer revoked the Motion for defendant Jarkloh's Admittance to Bail for lack of evidence which State prosecutors did not also oppose, thereby remitting the case back to the City Court where the “Nolle Prosequoi” was filed in my favor thereby releasing me from further detention.

As we speak, the police have reported and it has come to my knowledge that the Police Investigation mentioned another person other than Bill Jarkloh. By the grace of Jehovah God who knows all things and says by the truth we shall be set free, I am convinced that this has laid the issue to rest against me.

Bill K. Jarkloh
Panwhan.blogspot.com or billkjarkloh.wordpress.com
jloplehdee@gmail.com
Monrovia -Liberia