Addressing the court yesterday in the ongoing Guma murder trial at the Freetown High Court No 2, Oladipo Robin Mason, the director of public prosecution registered his protest to Justice Abdulai Fofanah for the absence of counsels representing the accused.
He added that, “I have come to court in readiness to proceed with the matter and counsels representing seven accused are not in court…It is unfair, witnesses are coming to court and lawyers are not there to continue with cross examinations of these witnesses”. Speaking on the issue of one of the jurors who died some weeks ago, he told the court he had written consents to the court asking for the matter to proceed with eleven jurors.
Reacting to this, Justice Abdulai Fofanah said, “it is unpleasant when a Judge comes to court and lawyers are absent without informing the court”.
He stated that, “I think it is becoming somehow difficulty regarding the manner counsels are behaving…the attitude of our barrister needs to change”.
They [Lawyers], he maintained, had obligations to come in court at all times and make progress in the case.
On the issue of the dead juror, he opined that he needed the consents of counsels representing the accused to file to the court.
Unanimously, the counsels representing the accused agreed to file the consents to the court on Thursday the next adjourned date.
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