Published: April 17, 2025
MONROVIA — Nineteen inmates who spent years behind bars without trial walked free Wednesday after Criminal Court “A” ordered their release, slamming the government for failing to prosecute their cases.
The scene at the Temple of Justice saw the men—some held as long as nine years—embracing freedom with tears, prayers, and shouts of praise as they were led from the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach.
The order to release the detainees was issued by Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, who cited the Liberian government’s persistent failure to bring charges or commence prosecution. The freed individuals were facing allegations ranging from aggravated assault and armed robbery to arson, manslaughter, and murder.
“They are not being released because the charges are false,” Judge Willie emphasized. “They are being released because the state failed to prosecute them in line with the law. If any of you return here for similar crimes, you will have yourselves to blame. Go and sin no more.”
Among those released were Isach Obediah, Levi Perry, Singbeh Sackie, Sam Johnson, Fobah Jallah, Morris Tucker, Junior Tarpeh, Michael Kollie, Joshua Duyan, Gerald Nyanason, Smith Miller, Teekegar Mulbah, G. Othello Nehyalor, Momo Manjo, Abdullah Kromah, Victor Manneh, Moses Dayougar, Mohammed Barrie and Abraham Kromah.
The judge instructed the Clerk of Court, J. Gabriel Smith, to collect personal data from each former inmate—including home address and contact information—as part of court procedures to document the release and support post-detention monitoring.
Wednesday’s release marked the second batch of pretrial detainees to be freed under Judge Willie’s directive. On April 9, seventeen others—also held without prosecution—were ordered released. That group included Diana Walter, Andrew Williams, James Walker, Momo Kanneh, Tonny Boimah, Samuel Poka, Daniel Kennedy, Daniel Williams, Papay Kennedy, Ernest P. Vandy, Perry Kpor, Joe William, Josiah Jeboe, Daddyboy Johnson, David Toe, Abraham Watson and one other unnamed person.
The releases follow a consolidated motion filed by defense lawyers Cllr. Sennay Carlor II and Cllr. Aloysius Toe of the Public Interest Advocacy Center. The motion, filed on behalf of 111 inmates, argued that the prolonged detention of the individuals—without indictment or trial—violated Article 21 (f) and (h) of the 1986 Constitution and Section 18.2 of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law.
“Since their arrests, the government has not filed indictments or made any credible effort to prosecute these individuals,” Cllr. Carlor told the court. “This is not only illegal but also a gross violation of their rights.”
The five-count motion further emphasized that the detainees, all Liberian citizens, had been arrested on separate dates by the Liberia National Police and held without due process. The defense urged the court to dismiss the criminal complaints outright and release the defendants, or require the government to provide sworn testimony to justify continued detention.
In his ruling, Judge Willie announced that 106 of the 111 detainees would be released in phases, excluding five individuals for whom indictments had already been filed prior to the motion.
Legal analysts say this decision represents one of the most significant judicial actions against prolonged pretrial detention in Liberia’s recent history. Human rights organizations and civil society advocates have long condemned the government’s failure to prosecute detainees, calling it a systemic abuse of due process.
More releases are expected in the coming weeks as Judge Willie continues to enforce constitutional protections for detainees who have yet to be charged or tried.
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