Amid FPA Report That US$500K Bribe Was Received In The US$100M Cocaine Case
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice on May 31,2023 issued a writ of summons on the management of Front Page Africa newspaper for an Action of Criminal Contempt of court.
Law scholars define writ of summons as, “A writ of summons is a court document that commences legal proceedings and informs the defendant that the plaintiff has started civil proceedings against him in a court of law. It requires the defendant to enter an appearance if he wishes to dispute the claim.”
The writ was filed by the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice, by and thru Tina G. Noring Sheriff, the First Judicial Circuit Criminal Court C for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia.
On May 18, 2023, the defendants in the US$100 million cocaine case have today, Thursday, May 182021 been found not guilty by the empaneled Jury of the Criminal Court “C” in the Liberian capital.
This case, which is said to be Liberia’s biggest narcotic drug case, resulted from the TRH Trading shipment of the drugs from Brazil to the country, with the jury finally handing down their verdict.
Four persons were indicted by the government in connection with the shipment of the cocaine and they have been tried on multiple charges including criminal conspiracy, money laundering, unlicensed possession of controlled drugs and unlicensed importation of controlled drugs.
The latest Writ of Summons from Criminal Court “C” was issued on the Management of Front Page Africa Newspaper by and thru its Managing Editor, Rodney D. Sieh, Lennart Dodoo, Newsroom Editor, Selma Lomax reporter, Henry Karmo reporter, Gerald C. Koinyeneh reporter, Christopher C. Walker reporter, Kadi Coleman Porte Business manager, Caroline Tanneh Ghartey business/ advertising, Albert C. Blamo production manager and all persons Acting under the scope and authority of the FPA newspaper.
The writ says: “You are hereby commanded to summon the management of Front Page Africa Newspaper by and thru its managing editor, Rodney D. Sieh, and Lennart Dodoo including those named above to appear before the first Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C” for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia on the 13th Day of June A.D. 2023 at 11am to show cause if any why they should not be held in contempt of court.”
“That the defendant management is hereby summoned to show cause why defendant management should not be held in Criminal Contempt of court and to establish and prove where, when, how and who received and splashed the US$500,000 around Judicial circles to influence the jury’s in the US$100 million Cocaine case that was heard, determined and disposed by the first Judicial Circuit Court “C” for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia as reported in Volume 17, Number 093 of the May 19,2023 edition of the Front Page Africa newspaper.”
Meanwhile, the Bailiff of the court has confirmed in his returns that the management of Front Page Africa received the Writ of Summons.