The Civil Society Network of Liberia expressed disappointment and dismay in the jury’s verdict in the divorce case between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Bank Liberia Limited (IBLL), Henry Saamoi and his wife, Mrs. Vivian Joe Saamoi.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia sees the verdict in the Henry Saamoi vs. Vivian Joe Saamoi divorce case as a travesty of justice in disregard to the level of inhumane treatment that Mr. Saamoi meted out against his wife.
Some of the concerns raised by the CSNL over the integrity of the jury is that it was done under sinister circumstances on grounds that after the conference between the both lawyers in the Saamoi’s case, it was surprising for the verdict to be placed in the media without the knowledge of the lawyers.
“Though Henry Saamoi’s divorce case is his domestic issue that has no relations to the bank, the lawyer of the International Bank Liberia Limited, Cllr. Abraham Eldine was regularly seen in court,” the group stated.
“He was seen transporting witnesses to and from the court during the hearings. We saw the bank’s lawyer, intruding into the domestic and marriage affairs of Mr. Saamoi who is just an employee of the bank. So, Cllr. Eldine’s action in interfering into the Saamoi’s divorce case indicates that the International Bank Liberia Limited role is to deny a Liberian woman of justice,” the CSO group stated.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia expressed how appalled it is over information that Mr. Saamoi is bent on not settling his former wife pointing outing “Madam Vivian Joe suffered and contributed a lot the marriage. Mr. Saamoi acquired several properties and financial resources during their period of marriage; hence it would be heartless for him to refuse to settle his former wife. We, therefore call on him to immediately provide package of settlements for Madam Vivian Joe. We hope the Civil Law Court of Montserrado will do the legal imperative to ensure that Mr. Saamoi settles Madam Joe in properties and finances that were acquired during their course of marriage, as provided for by law.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Network of Liberia is accusing Mr. Saamoi of spreading the court’s decision of trashing Madam Joe’s plea for settlement when the information of Madam Joe’s settlement was a ruling to an amendment to a motion during the court’s hearing.
The group said the jury’s final verdict only spoke to the granting of divorce, and not the issue of settlement or division of properties, as being wrongly published in some media institutions.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia entreats the Civil Law Court of Montserrado County to immediately convene a conference between lawyers of Mr. Saamoi and his former wife, aimed at ensuring he provides her settlement package.
