Liberian Court Requests UK Authority to Provide Evidence from British Nationals in US$15M Case

The Civil Law Court in Liberia has requested the United Kingdom's Judicial Authority to obtain evidence from two British citizens in the ongoing US$15 million damages lawsuit involving Swiss human rights advocate Alain Werner and his organization, Civitas Maxima.

The depositions of Paul Harris and James Mason are expected to provide evidence in support of Werner, the first defendant, and Hassan Bility, founder of the Global Justice and Research Project, the second defendant.

The trial, prompted by a lawsuit filed by Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi on behalf of Agnes Reeves Taylor, seeks US$5 million in punitive damages and US$10 million in general damages. Reeves Taylor alleges negligent investigation and malicious prosecution, claiming that Werner and Bility provided false testimonies against her.

In a written request dated February 20, 2024, Judge Gloda A. Bonah-Elliott requested the UK Judicial Authority to secure the appearance of Harris and Mason for depositions between March 25-27 or to give evidence or produce documents in the US$15M damage lawsuit. 

The court emphasized the necessity of this assistance for the sake of justice. A copy of the letter was also forwarded to Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti.

"This court requests the assistance described herein as necessary in the interest of justice,” Judge Bonah-Elliott emphasized.

According to the judge, she noted that all responses to the written questions shall be attached to the notice of deposition and the written questions and security seal. “It should be placed in an envelope with the title and action of the case marked thereon as depositions of defendants witnesses and sent to the court clerk by registered mail with copies to all the parties,” she said.

The letter also informed the UK Judicial Authority that the cost of the depositions would be borne equally by the parties in the proceedings. 

The proceedings have been dragged on for months due to a legal dispute over whether the Liberian judiciary had jurisdiction to hear the matter. As a result of legal disputes over jurisdiction, the proceedings faced delays.

This came after Werner's lawyers had filed a writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, to review the Civil Law Court’s judgment, which had paved the way for the trial to proceed.

Although Werner’s plea to the Supreme Court was denied, the Civil Law Court encountered difficulties in obtaining witness depositions, leading to the request to the UK Judicial Authority to gather crucial evidence.

The case stems from Madam Taylor’s allegations that Werner and Bility conspired to prosecute her in the UK, where charges were subsequently dismissed by the Central Criminal Court. Witness testimonies are intended to support the defendants’ defense in this complex legal matter.

“The defendants have countered the allegations by insisting that they did not have the authority to prosecute the plaintiff and that the decision to prosecute was made solely by the prosecutorial authority of the UK,” the depositions letter said.

“According to the letter, the witnesses to be deposed will provide testimonies to support the defendant’s defense. 

“The list of questions by the defendants and cross-examination questions are attached and marked exhibit #Dep.001 in bulk to form a part of the instrument,” it adds.

The legal intricacies of the case have evolved from events related to the first Liberian civil war, highlighting the complexities of international justice and legal processes.

The case here grew after the United Kingdom’s Central Criminal Court dismissed seven counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture about Taylor’s involvement with the rebel faction, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), during the first Liberian civil war that took place from 1989 to 1996.

Madam Taylor believes that her arrest in June 2017 and subsequent release in 2019 were a result of witnesses sponsored by Civitas Maxima and Hassan Bility, founder of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), which partners with Civitas Maxima. 

The case was dismissed when the UK Crown Prosecution Service failed to prove that the NPFL had the necessary authority over the relevant territory at the time that the crimes of torture and conspiracy were committed, as claimed by Werner and Bility.

Reeves-Taylor’s lawyer, Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi, is seeking US$5 million as punitive damages and US$10 million as general damages in the suit for alleged negligent investigation and malicious prosecution, on the basis that Werner and Bility provided false testimonies against his client, Taylor. Meanwhile, the ongoing legal proceedings underscore the importance of international cooperation and the pursuit of truth and justice in complex legal disputes.