Liberia: Ex-VP Defense Withdraws Evidence Hearing

What the report says

Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor’s defense team ended a preliminary hearing in Monrovia City Court on Monday, stopping Magistrate Ben Barco from ruling on whether prosecutors could play audio recordings the state says are connected to Taylor. According to the Liberian Observer, the hearing had focused on evidence gathered by Liberia National Police investigator Raphael A. Wilson, who testified about cellphone materials, WhatsApp messages and alleged audio communications recovered during the investigation.

The defense had already been contesting the state’s evidence, arguing that the prosecution had not properly disclosed the materials it intended to use and objecting to the recordings on hearsay, constitutional and chain-of-custody grounds. Barco had been expected to decide the issue after adjourning the matter last Thursday. Instead, when the case resumed, Taylor’s lawyers withdrew the request to continue the preliminary examination, ending the City Court’s review of probable cause.

The move means the disputed recordings were not played in open court and the preliminary proceeding will not be completed there. The case now advances to Criminal Court "C" for further proceedings. The article says the withdrawal is not an admission of guilt and does not settle the authenticity or meaning of the alleged recordings, but it does leave those questions for the next stage of the case. The broader matter is being closely watched because the testimony included serious allegations involving money, political ties and an alleged plan against former President George Weah, though those claims remain untested in court.