Liberia court summons Rwandan expert for Peter Bon Jallah rape trial

A Liberian court has summoned a forensic expert from Rwanda to testify in the rape trial of Peter Bon Jallah III, a former National Security Agency official. Judge Alphonsus Wesseh Sr. ordered Bavugirije Pascal of the Rwanda Forensic Institute to appear in Monrovia on September 16.

The prosecution, led by the Ministry of Justice’s Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Crimes Unit, is seeking to authenticate and explain a forensic examination report produced by the Rwandan institute. The summons includes both a subpoena duces tecum to compel the production of documents and a subpoena ad testificandum to compel testimony, covering DNA findings, records, and photographs.

Jallah was arrested in January 2026 and faces charges of gang rape, statutory rape, and kidnapping involving a 16-year-old victim. He has pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Because the summons was issued to Rwanda’s Ministry of Justice, the expert's appearance depends on international cooperation between the two nations.