Judge Nuta’s decision came immediately after he suspended last Monday’s hearing to allow the prosecution to encourage Dennis to honor the court’s order to testify. When the court resumed yesterday, Dennis was again nowhere to be found, which prompted the judge to fine each of the lawyers US$100. But the judge said after that request, he immediately sent court officers along with the defense counsel to Dennis’s office at the LNP headquarters. “They later reported that Dennis was at work and not ill as claimed by the state lawyers, and he has again deliberately absented himself with the knowledge of prosecution,” Nuta noted. The criminal court judge had earlier rejected Dennis’s investigative report that prosecution was relying on to convict the defendant because it was not presented to the defense team prior to the trial.

Source: Daily Observer January 18, 2017 01:53 UTC