Liberia: Cummings Released After Spending Hours On Prisoner Bench
Cummings while entering the Court.
After spending hours on the prisoner bench at the Monrovia City Court, Alexander Benedict Cummings, Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) and seven others were released late Tuesday afternoon to their lawyer, pending disposition of the allegations levied against them.
This comes a day after the issuance of a writ of arrest for Mr. Cummings to answer to allegations of forgery and criminal conspiracy levied against him by the All Liberian Party of businessman Beoni Urey.
The release of Cummings and his associates was granted after their lawyers filed a valid criminal appearance bill bond before Magistrate Jorma Jallah of the Monrovia City Court.
Magistrate Jallah ruled discharging Cummings and his co-associates in these proceedings on grounds that he (Cummings) has fulfilled his valid criminal appearance bond as provided for by law.
Prior to the Magistrate’s decision to have Cummings and his seven associates discharged from prisoner bench, Liberia’s Solicitor General Sayma Syrenius Cephus warned Prosecutors (Government Lawyers) not to challenge the bond filed by the ANC political leader, even if he (Cummings) is given 13.5 by that court.
Cllr. Cephus further said the ANC Political Leader is an honorable man and he believes that Mr. Cummings cannot leave the country without the consent of the State.
On Monday, January 3, 2022, a writ of arrest was issued against Alexander Cummings, by the Magistrate of the Monrovia City Court to answer to the crimes of forgery and criminal conspiracy based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia through Theodore Momo, National Chairman of the All Liberian Party (ALP).
It was also alleged that Cummings purposely connived, conspired and jointly altered the framework document of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), “thus deceiving the private prosecutor and the public regarding the content and averments of the said document specifically a period a party may exist from the CPP which was unrevealed.”
The writ further noted that out of deception Cummings did alter the instrument, thereby making it appear as though the party had formally resolved the issue and others appertaining thereto.