State prosecutors abandoned legal pursuit against defendant Patrick Vandalard who was named the first political prisoner in Ellen led Government for testing the freedom of expression which many considered as major achievement of her regime.Speaking to an array of journalists at the Temple Of Justice immediately after acquitting defendant Patrick Vandalark following the dropping of prosecution charges on Wednesday February 6, 2013, a member of the defense counsel, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe hailed the prosecuting counsel for acting in line with law and in good faith.
Cllr. Gongloe said that the state prosecutors have taken the right stand not to waste the country much needed resources, adding, “In our view, the case lack legal bases, this is what a prosecution suppose to do; disagree with other actors in the executive and always do what is right.”
He asserted that the actions of the police, NSA, and all of the state actors were very wrong and this is why the prosecutors said they cannot proceed with the case because no law was broken.
Cllr. Gongloe however, praised President Ellen Sirleaf for the level of freedom of expression, but took exception to the behaviors of other state actors constant arrest and subsequence detention in contradiction of what is preached by the president.
“The President said that even if the people demonstrate while my guests are in Monrovia, that will make me look better; it will show to the world that I am democratic.”
He maintained that the President said the above statement yet the Police, the EPS and the NSA acted against what the President said in the public, adding “ we are waiting to see whether the President will punish anybody for doing the opposite of what she told the public,” defense counsel spoke person Cllr. Gongloe accentuated.
