7: The Courtroom Drama

Chapter 7.

It took me two days to convince Maria to stay with me. On two occasions, she had brought out her bag to the sitting room and declared that she was leaving. I lied to her that the reason why i wanted us to drift downwards to Denmark was to start a new and normal life. I believed she didn’t bought that but i was able to convince her eventually.
For the past two days, we didn’t cook anything. We had started packing out before the Rose incident happened. We would go down to the Chinese restaurant to eat together. I didn’t leave Maria’s presence for a minute, she was a scared lady and could just disappear if not monitored.
It was on the third day that i got a call from a strange number and when i answered, the voice said that i was needed in court the next day to testify against one Miss Joy Ew****. I thanked the caller and told her that i would surely be there after getting the address of the Place.
Maria had asked who the caller was and i told her that Aunty Joy has been charged to court and that i was needed to testify. She said she will go with me.
“You understand that Aunty Joy will be there and will see you” I had said. She said she didn’t care if she sees her or not.
The tension in our apartment has relaxed a bit and we have started interacting well again. We even made love again that night and chatted freely until the next morning when it was time to go to court.

We took a taxi to the court house and found room 11 where our own case was to be held. We were ten minutes earlier.
The proceedings started at 9am. The Judge called out the two counsels to introduce themselves. After that, the case at hand was read out to the hearing of everybody. Aunty Joy was there with a social lawyer given to her by the government while the City of Stockholm has their own lawyer who was the prosecutor.

After reading out the offences of Miss Joy as they called her, the first witness for the prosecuting council was called out; that happened to be me.
I walked to the witness box and stood there. The court clerk asked if i understood Swedish and i said no. She called on an interpreter to stay close to me.
After swearing an oath to say nothing but the truth, the proceeding continued.

“Mr Solomon, where were you on April 21st….?”
“I was here in Stockholm” I answered in English while the Interpreter said the same thing in the local language.
“An Undercover Police officer arrested and brought you to the Police station, why was that?”
I narrated how i took a taxi to meet Rose who was my friend and when i got there, i heard someone crying inside her apartment, then i called the Police emergency number to come and rescue the victim. “But when i wanted to leave, the taxi driver showed me his badge and said that i knew something about the incident; he was right”. I stopped.
After a few more questions, the prosecutor said he has finished with me. It was time for the defendant Counsel to ask his own questions. Surely his own questions was going to be more Difficult.
“Please can you state your name for the court again?” the defendant lawyer asked.
“No Sir, i just said that ten minutes ago” I said and kept quiet. There were some giggles from the audience as the lawyer looked at the Judge to make him force me to say my name again. The Judge didn’t say a word.

“What were you doing in Sweden the day of the incident?” he asked.
“I came to visit my friend who was a victim of prostitution” I said and stopped. I recalled instantly that i didn’t prepare Rose for the things i was going to say about her. It was unlike me but i will find a way around it.

“Where do you live?” He asked.
“I live in Paris France”
“How long have you been in France?” I quickly remember the date on the visa in my passport, added a month to it and said it.
“Your document shows that you entered Europe on ……, where did you spent those days before going to France? He asked.
“Germany, they were the people who gave me Visa but when the visa expired, they asked me to leave their country or get deported, so i went to Paris” I said.
“In other words, you are an Illegal Immigrant?” he said.
“No, The government of France has given me a resident permit after recognizing how important i am to the economy” I said in a bid to make people laugh and it worked.

“You mentioned in your statement at the Police station, that you knew my client Miss Joy?” he asked.
“Yes, i know her very well and i have slept with her once in an attempt to steal her girls and sent them out of the streets. I know her apartment in Venice and i can take you there if you doubt me” i said and people giggled again.
“What were you doing in Venice?” he asked.
“Objection My Lord, that was an irrelevant question” That was my lawyer.
“Objection sustained. Counsel please stick to the matter at hand” The judge said to the defendant lawyer.
“Yes my lord” the defendant lawyer blurted.
“Mr Solomon, you accused my client of human trafficking, do you have a substantial evidence to back up that claim?” he asked.
“I already told the police about some of the girls i rescued from her, two of them are right here in court and can testify if you want them” I said.
“Please can you show me the girls you just mentioned?” he said.
I turned around and pointed at the two teenagers sitting together three meters away.
“My Client claimed that she doesn’t know the girls, what can you say about that?” he asked.
“Then ask your client what she came to do in Sweden with thugs if not to take those girls back or maybe you should ask those girls if they know your client” i said.
“That would be all my lord” the lawyer said to the Judge.
I was told to return to my seat while the Judge postponed the court to another one week. He said there will be judgment that day.
Even as someone who wasn’t a lawyer, i knew what the judgment would be. There was nothing tangible that came from the defending counsel. I could have even defeated him without a lawyer. There was even no need to wait for the Judgment. I needed to go.