By Grace Q. Bryant
The prosecution’s subpoenaed witness, Joseph Boakai, has testified that the document presented to him in court was not the document he signed on May 19, 2020.
Amb Boakai answer comes against the back drop of Sayma Syrenius Cephus’ question that as witness, if he could testify in court to the framework document placed into evidence from the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Perusing the document, witness Boakai answered, “The document before me is not the document that I signed on May 19, 2020. The document that I signed was original and not a photocopy and I see that Daniel Naatehn was not the chairman of CPP but chairman of ANC.”
He maintained that the signature page on the framework document displayed original signatures and that the document was filed under the leadership of the Alternative National Congress (ANC).
According to him, the document has five original copies and so one copy was intended to be filed with the NEC while the four was for the political parties.
Answering a question about the five original documents that were signed on May 19, 2020, the prosecution witness told the court that since the document was signed; he is yet to receive a copy.
He revealed that when the framework document was signed on May 19, 2020, the signatories were the Unity Party-Amb. Boakai as Standard bearer and Isaac Manneh then as its Chairperson while the ANC- Alexander Cummings as Standard bearer and Naatehn as Chairperson; the All Liberian Party-Benoni Urey as Standard bearer and Theodore Momo as Chairperson and the Liberty Party-Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence as Standard bearer and its chairperson.
The subpoenaed witness reemphasized that the framework document he signed along with his chairperson was in its original form with the logos of the four political parties on the cover page and in alphabetical order.
However, the defense team headed by Abrahim Sillah was interested in whether or not the May 19, 2020 document was a zoom symbolic signing ceremony and witness Boakai answered in the affirmative but added that the signing was done later as the outbreak of COVID at the time occasioned the symbolic ceremony.
Meanwhile, the matter was suspended until May 17, 2022.
