Defendant Bundor who is a local gold miner in the area, fled the area but was arrested by the Police on the next days and then taken to Cestor, Rivercess.
CESTOS CITY, Rivercess – The Assigned Circuit Judge of the 14th Judicial Circuit Court of Rivercess County, His Honor Wesseh Alphonsus Wesseh, has sentenced a 43 years old man, Saah Bundor, to 50 years in prison, for rapping two minor children, between the ages of 9 and 11 years, in ITI, Rivercess County, on May 27, 2025.
The indictment alleged on Saturday, May 24, 2025, the two victims went to the nearby dumpsite, in the town to attend to nature, when Defendant Bundor appeared and took the children away to the nearby bush, where he had sexual intercourses with the minors and then gave then the amount of LRD1000; and there after he threatened to killed the child if they informed their parents.
Defendant Bundor who is a local gold miner in the area, fled the area but was arrested by the Police on the next days and then taken to Cestor, Rivercess, while the children were admitted to the hospital with broken hymens and lacerations and foul smell in their vaginas wall.
The case was then advanced on the trial docket and When Defendant Bundor was arraigned, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, during the 26th day jury sitting, he pleaded not guilty to the charges compelling a juror to hear the case and During the trial that last for almost three week, the Prosecution produced a total of seven general witnessed and two rebuttal witness, while the Defendant and a the chairlady of the town testified on behalf of the defendant.
After the court entertained final legal argument on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the jurors after a lengthen deliberations, returned a unanimous guilty verdict against the Defendant Bundor; after a heated legal argument ensued between prosecution’s lawyers led by Atty. Martin Turmor, County attorney for Rivercess and Defense Counsel led by Cllr. James. D. Kaba.
While rendering his judgment, on Saturday, June 28,, Judge Wesseh said “rape is a felony of the first degree, wherein the victim is less than 18 years of age, at the time of the offense; and the actor is 18 years or older and said that the maximum sentence for a first degree pare is life imprisonment, with a minimum of ten years”’ “ he then said “this court therefore says that the act of the defendant is graded as a first degree rape”.
He also said that “This court also takes note of the general sentencing regime, as provided for in section 50.5(a); (sentence to death or imprisonment); which says” a person who has been convicted of a felony of the first degree may be sentenced as follows; “for a felony of the first degree to life or life imprisonment where such penalty is specified by statute; or where not specified to a definite term of imprisonment to be fixed by the court, the maximum shall be ten years”.
Judge Wesseh continued and said “giving the above mentioned, and regarding the sentence to be imposed on this defendant, in a first degree rape case; and in this case where the victims are of teen ages, 9 and 11, years old, this court says since the Prosecution indicted Defendant Saah Bundor for allegedly having a dual sexual intercourses with two minor children, between the ages, 9 and 11., and that trial the evidence adduced by the State satisfactorily established the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.”
.He then went on and said the “defendant’s action perpetrated against the pair of teen ages is tantamount to mass rape and reminiscent of the dark days in Liberia; as such his callous behaviors was a breach of his fiduciary to the victims”.
Also Judge Wesseh said that “this courts find it impossible, if not impracticable to give the maximum (life) sentence, since there is no Probation Serviced of the Ministry Justice, here in Rivercess investigate the past conduct of the defendant; which would have served as a guidepost in mitigating his sentence; or as an aggravating circumstances in the worst case scenery, wherein the imposition of a more rigid sentence of life imprisonment” is required”.
Judge Wesseh then called on the Ministry of Justice for establishment of Probation Services, in the rest of the country, where such service is not available, so as to aid courts in making future sentencing decision.
Judge Wesseh the concluded and said that “this court therefore holds no doubt that the jurors’ unanimous guilty verdict returned against the defendant shall remain permanent and continue to exist perpetually until reverse by the final arbiter of justice.”
He then upheld, confirmed and affirmed the trial jurors’ verdict and sentence Defendant Saah Bundor to FIFTY (50) years to be served at the National palace of Corrections, Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County or at the Monrovia Central Prison. The Counsel for the defendant then excepted to the court’s ruling and announced an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia
