By: Nat Bayjay, nbayjay2010@gmail.com (231-77-402737)

The prolonged trial for the murder of 13-year-old Angel Tokpa, who was allegedly killed by her guardians Hans C. Williams and his girlfriend, Mardea Paykue, is expected to resume Thursday at the Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.

The deceased, whose strangulated body was discovered hung on a bathroom rod in one of the two bathrooms at her guardians’ Sinkor residence outside Monrovia on November 30, 2007, had since been buried. On February 13, 2008, Williams and Pakue were arrested and charged with the murder of 13-year-old Angel Togba. Her death has since led to her corpse being resumed at least twice for various autopsies. There were reports there was some foul play in the result of the autopsies while another says the girl was sexually abused 48-hours prior to her death by Hans. The late Angel was a 9th grade student of a Catholic School called Christ The King the Christ.

The trial still remains a tense one with women and other pressure groups continual quest for justice.

According to a notice of assignment of the murder case issued by the Clerk of Court on September 9, 2009 all party litigants were notified to appear before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “A”, Temple of Justice on Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 9:00 am.

But the case has been a strange one. On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, the Presiding Judge S. Geevon Smith recused himself from the case while the murder trial was ongoing at the Criminal Court “A” during its March Term of court.

Following his surprising recusal, Judge Smith also disbanded the trial jury, saying that the murder case had overrun the statutory time.

Judge Smith at the time told the court that the statutory period for the sitting of the 15-member empanelled jury had also expired.

The Judge’s recusal followed mounting pressure from state prosecutors, accusing Smith of having what they termed ‘manifest’ interest in the case.

This follows a series of motions filed by the state for Judge Smith to recuse himself on grounds raised by the state lawyers that one Aaron Fallah, a friend of the former murder suspect, Roland Kaine, had tampered with the jury.

Juror Fallah was charged with perjury and also accused of recruiting some of the jurors on the panel for Hans Williams and Mardea Pakue at the time. He was however tried and acquitted of the allegation levied against him by the Government.

The judge’s willingness to step down followed another Writ of Certiorari filed by the state with the Justice-in- Chamber, Francis S. Korkpor, for his failure to investigate Juror Fallah.

The Judge further told the court that it brings to mind the sayings of a Liberian philosopher and writer, Edward Wilmot Blyden, who once said, ‘That truth crushed to the ground will raise the eternal ears of God’s anger, but falsehood will die with its worshippers.

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