Escape from Justice [Archives:1999/25/Law & Diplomacy]
June 21 1999
Unfortunately, the Judge had refused the request of the Yemen Times that the case be continued to its conclusion, on the assumption that the death of Dr. Al-Saqqaf was sufficient grounds for ending the case. However, the YT insists that the defendant was the Yemen Times, an ongoing concern, which had previously been represented by Dr. Abdulaziz, and therefore the case must continue, so that the truth can be upheld. The legal opinion of our lawyer is that: “In such situations, the case should have been divided equally between the former Editor-in-Chief and the newspaper, both as independent entities. Therefore, if the accusation against the editor had been withdrawn, the case against the paper should continue.”
Indeed, logic suggests that this case should be completed till the end. People are anxious to know where this money went. The attorney should have at least shown the court and the people of Yemen what the true numbers are. Ending the case this way is certainly a badly planned method of the government to conceal the truth. Withdrawing the case might seem a favor for the deceased, but in reality, it is just a shameful escape from justice. The disappointment in Yemen Times and among all the people of Yemen of how justice was not achieved in this case is big. If the attorney thinks that this move will calm things and bring Yemen Times and people to silence he is wrong. On the contrary, their tricks to conceal the facts, and close this case without mentioning the true numbers will only give us and give the whole nation another push and another try to once again ask,
“Where did the money go?”
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