Monrovia, Liberia – Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court ‘A’ is investigating Representative Samuel Enders of Montserrado County, District-Six, for allegedly interfering with the Paynesville Magisterial Court’s operations.
Judge Roosevelt Z. of Criminal Court ‘A’ has received a letter from His Honor William G. Saygah, the Stipendiary Magistrate of the Paynesville Magisterial Court. Willie filed a complaint against Representative Samuel Enders, who is also a preacher, for interfering with court operations by bringing 20 criminals or hooligans, into the court area to drag and flog Atty. Ghawou Kowou during court proceedings.
The Magistrate complaint further stated that due to the illegal entry of the hooligans into the Court premises and in the Court room, some Court officers to include the Clerk of Court, Mr Hector Dolo were assaulted and that he the Magistrate did everything possible peaceably to resolve the situation with Representative Samuel Enders, but he refused and continued his outburst along with his thugs.
Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie cited all parties, including Magistrate William G. Saygah, Representative Samuel Enders, Attorney Gbawou Kowou, Hector M. Dolo, Clerk of the Magistrate Court, Attorney Prince S. Conway, and Sheriff Roosevelt Bryant, for investigation based on the Stipendiary Magistrate’s complaint.
As part of the inquiry, the Court asked each individual what part they particularly played in the event, according to the Magistrate’s report. In light of this, the magistrate clarified that Representative Samuel Enders had appeared in court for a case. The representative was referred to as a reverend or pastor by someone in the court, but Atty. Gbawou Kowou denied the claim and instructed the person not to address the representative as such because he had stated on multiple occasions and on the radio that he is not a reverend or pastor.
According to the court letter, Representative Enders became irritated with Atty. Gbawou’s remark, which caused them to start exchanging derogatory remarks and make the courtroom extremely noisy and uncomfortable for the party litigants who had come to have their cases decided.
According to the Magistrate, he then told Atty. Gbawou Kowou to leave the court, but Representative Enders blocked the doorway as he was leaving, preventing Atty. Kowou from leaving until his security details could arrive and beat and drag him to teach him a lesson because he doesn’t respect his leaders.
Additionally, according to the Magistrate, Representative. Enders then.called hisqansarityoletailaserpretseginn gourdrmeresemmer afound the Court vicinity and some of them force themselves in the Court room and the situation went out of hand and resulted into some of the Court officers being injured.
Mr. Roosevelt Bryant, the sheriff, and Hector Dolo, the clerk, both attested to this claim. Mr. Dolo also said that one of the goons that Representative Samuel Enders had brought in attacked him. Atty. Gbawou Kowou informed the conference that the magistrate’s explanation mirrors precisely what happened in the courtroom. He also acknowledged that he was correct when he said that Representative Samuel Enders is no longer a pastor or a minister.
Meanwhile, during the explanation of Representative Samuel Enders, he told the hearing that he was surprised by the explanation given by the Magistrate and Court officers to include Atty. Gbawou Kowou.
He stated that when he appeared at the Court, somebody called him reverend and Atty. Gbawou stated that the Representative Samuel Enders is no longer a Pastor so no one should call him pastor or reverend. When he began to question Atty. Gbawou Kowou as to who told him that he Representative Enders is not a Pastor/reverend, Atty. Obawou Kowou began annoyed and began to insult him. Representative Enders further stated that due to the action of Atty. Kowou he felt threatened and sent for his securities.
Only two of his security personnel showed up on the site, he added, and their purpose was to keep Atty. Gbawou Kowou and the other court officers from mistreating him. He acknowledged that there had been disturbances in the courtroom and its environs.
The Court also asked Cllr. Sandra Howard, who mentioned that she had visited the Court for a matter, saw the occurrence, and even supplied a video pertaining to Representative Samuel Enders’ actions. She said that when she attempted to stop Representative Enders from bringing goons into the courtroom and premises, he resisted and persisted in interfering with court proceedings.
Representative Samuel Enders has been found guilty of misconduct that led to the assault of the Clerk by Criminal Court A’. As a result, he has been fined US$150.00. The court stipulates that the money must be paid within a week, which is from Tuesday, January 14 to Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and that the deposit receipts must be placed with the Clerk of Criminal Court ‘A’.
“The Court reached the following conclusion after hearing arguments from the parties and the amice-curay, Cllr. Sandra Howard, who witnessed the incident: That both parties, namely Atty. Gbawou Kowou and Representative Samuel Enders, committed misconduct that led to the assault of the Clerk, and as a result, they were fined US$100.00 and US$150.00, respectively.”
That Atty. Gbawau Kowou is fined US$ 100.00 to be paid in the Judiciary Account because he started the confusion; while Representative Samuel Enders is fined US$150.00, also to be paid in the Judiciary Account, because besides restraining Atty. Gbawou Kowou from leaving the Court room, he brought pretty close to 20 thugs or hooligans on the premises of the Court compound and they disturbed the operations of the Court and assaulted Court officers.
Reported by: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
