At Liberia’s Main Seaport—Freeport Of Monrovia
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The defense first Subpoena witness in the ongoing US$100 million cocaine case, the Deputy Managing Director of APM Terminals at the Freeport of Monrovia has testified in open court denying that his company was involved in the clearing of the containing that brought into Liberia the largest ever consignment of narcotic drugs last year.
Emeka Ogbaje said the containers were released based on the instructions from the shipping line and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
In his testimony at the Criminal Court “C”, the Deputy Managing director and Chief Financial Officer of APM Terminals said that APM Terminals’ role in the entire logistics value chain is limited to discharge, storage and release of the containers upon instructions from the shipping line and customs in this case, the LRA.
According to him, APM received the delivery order, which tells us that the owner of the container, TRH consignee has fulfilled its obligation towards the shipping line.
“APM Terminals play no role in the inspection and clearing of containers in particularly these containers mentioned in the subpoena,” Mr. Ogbaje testified
“I have in my hand copy of delivery received from the shipping line for the two containers,” the APM Terminals Deputy Managing Director maintained.
“Upon receipt of those documents we also check that our fees have been duly paid after which we load the container on the truck and it goes to where the customer is staying. I also have copies of the invoices for payment made by consignee of those containers,” the APM Terminals executive also testified.
Upon receipt of the delivery order of the shipping line. they put it into the Asycuda System to know what instructions the LRA has given on where the containers should go to. But with respect of the two containers, the APM Terminals official told the Criminal Court “C” that the instruction was under the field DP which means delivery point or privilege will be interpreted so that it should go straight to the premises of the consignee where other custom process will be completed.
When asked by one of counselors for defense as to which time the two containers were released to the consignee, TRH he answered that both containers were released on September 26,2022 but adding that he cannot speak to the exact hour the two containers were released.
The APM Terminals Deputy Managing Director Ogbaje then revealed: “As per the documents, both containers were released from our facilities on the 26th of September 2022, I cannot speak to the exact hour.”