Jury in Philly selected to weigh alleged Liberian war criminal's case
A jury of eight women and four men was selected Monday to decide the fate of a Delaware County man who federal prosecutors say committed horrific atrocities in Liberia's civil wars and later lied about them while seeking asylum in the United States.
A jury of eight women and four men was selected Monday to decide the fate of a Delaware County man who federal prosecutors say committed horrific atrocities in Liberia's civil wars and later lied about them while seeking asylum in the United States.
Lawyers in the case of Mohammed Jabateh, 51, of East Lansdowne, are expected to deliver their opening arguments to the panel Tuesday.
Prosecutors have flown in more than 16 witnesses from Liberia who are expected to testify about a series of brutal rapes, murders, and acts of cannibalism Jabateh allegedly committed while fighting in the early '90s under the nom de guerre "Jungle Jabbah."
Jabateh has denied those allegations and pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to immigration authorities.
He could face up to 20 years in a U.S. prison if convicted. Immigration authorities have signaled they hope to deport him regardless of the trial's outcome.