Breaking News (Update from inside the Court #2)
By Myean D. Torgbean
“Don’t let them use your hands,” The Defense presents final argument in US$6.2 million economic sabotage case
This is an update from inside the Court.
The defense’s final arguments were delivered by Cllr. Arthur Johnson as follows:
Cllr. Johnson told the Jury that the Public Financial Management (PFM) law gives the finance minister the power to disagree with the president not to disburse funds.
“The whole case is about disagreement on administrative procedures. Because this was based on administrative procedures, but the prosecution chose to criminalize it, ” Cllr. Johnson told the Jury.
Another point of his argument is that the prosecution didn’t prove theft. Cllr. Johnson further argues that the government didn’t show recording, written statement and or video footage to show that ex-Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah used the money for his personal use.
Johnson argues that if the State wanted to prove theft, they should have brought the CCTV footage involving the interaction with Moses Cooper, former comptroller General of FIA. He again went on to argue that the state didn’t show the CCTV footage because they were protecting classified national security information.
“Today, the whole country is looking at you. Today, you will be saving democracy. Today, when you return a verdict of not guilty, you will be saving the lives of many generations. Today, when you pass a not guilty verdict, you’ll sleep like a baby, ” Cllr. Johnson told the Jury.
“The request that they reply doesn’t need to be written. What they have been telling you is that in the absence of written requests the president can’t authorize the disbursement of funds. So, what they are doing is selective enforcement of the law,” Johnson narrated.
“All the witnesses that they brought did not disagree that there was a national security emergency. I told you that they saw the people that ate the money. Don’t let them use your hands. Go and return a not guilty verdict on these defendants and see how the country will celebrate you. Make these defendants happy. Make them happy so that you will be celebrated. The authority you get, we the lawyers don’t have it. The authority you have is in the Constitution. Don’t return a guilty verdict. Don’t do it. They want you to return a guilty verdict but don’t do it, ” Cllr. Johnson concluded.
Keep following THE CLOSING Argument for more updates.
