-But dismisses charges as politically motivated
Former Defense Minister J. Brownie Samukai has appeared in court after being indicted on corruption charges along with his two former deputies, charging them with the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property, Criminal Conspiracy, Misuse of Public Money and Money Laundering.
The two others who appeared in Criminal Court ‘C’ last week are former Deputy Defense Minister Joseph P. Johnson, J. Nyumah Dorkor. Their indictments were announced by Liberia’s Solicitor General, Cllr. Syrenius Cephus in Monrovia recently.
But the former Defense Minister under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government has denied being involved in corruption, describing the charges being leveled against him by the CDC government as politically motivated. He told the Liberia News Agency recently that he has never stolen a dime during his lengthy tenure at that Ministry
Lawyers for the accused last week filed a Criminal Appearance property Bond of US$ 2,611,107.50 at the Monrovia Criminal Court C at Temple of Justice seen from the statement of property valuation issued by the Real Estate tax division of the Liberia Revenue Authority.
According to a legal document from Criminal Court C, the sureties herein undertake and stipulate that they individually owned separate and distinct real properties lying, located and situated at Guest House after Banana lodge Paynesville, Red light Zone 11, Behind Old Telecommunication Bldg. Paynesville City, Kebbeh Community Zone 14 Barnesville township all of Monrovia and others are Robertsfield highway, Boys Town community Margibi County and Konabeh Community, Foya, Lofa County.
However, the government of Liberia filed a forty-four counts and among those accounts, these are the specific one.
The indictment states that during the period of July 1, A. D 2009 in the area of Monrovia City, Montserrado County, the Ministry of Defense opened an account named and style AFL Pension Account at Ecobank Liberia Limited, with account number 10925222219. It says that said account was based upon salaries deductions and established to provide benefits to wounded ADL soldiers and also to families of dead AFL soldiers as well as to supplement pension package to personnel of AFL upon retirement from active service.
The indictment further stated that the said account opened under the signatures of co-defendant J. Brownie Samukai Jr., former Defense Minister as signatory A, and defendant J. Nyumah Dorkor, former comptroller of the Ministry of National Defense as signatory B and defendant Joseph P. Johnson, former Deputy Minister for administration, Ministry of National Defense also as A, with no member of the AFL high command to include Chief of Staff and Deputy, Brigade commander, et-al, as signatory to the account.
The indictment further disclosed that personnel of the AFL monies were deducted from their salaries between July 2009 and up to October 2017, for onward deposit in the AFLpension account on the basis of rank, as shown below in USD.
Private- PVT USD $ 5.00
Band unit 10.00
Private First Class PFC/SN 10.00
Coporal/SGT/CPL 10.00
Sergeant-SGT/PO2 11.00
First Sergeant-SSGT-PO1 12.00
Master Sergeant -MSG 13.00
Warrant officer-WO 14.00
2nd Lieutenant -2LT/ENS 22.00
Lieutenant colonel -LTC 36.00
Colonel-COL.BTL/C 42.00
Brigadier General /CDI 75.00
Deputy Chief of staff-D/COS 75.00
Chief of staff-COS 75.00
Count three of the indictment stated that during the period of July A. D 2009 up to and including November 2017, the total amount of US$1,943,971.99 was deposited into the said account and thereafter, the defendant J. Brownie Samukai, former Minister of Defense, Joseph P. Johnson, Deputy Minister for administration and J. Nyumah Dorkor, Comptroller and others to be identified.
It is by virtue of these positions within said entity knowingly, purposely, Criminally and intentionly withdrawn and transferred from the said account the amount of US $1,259.462 between the period of September 2014 up to and including September 2017 for the purpose of preparation for Minusma deployment, AFL operation, facilitate AFL operation among several others reasons.
Count four of the indictment added that of the total amount herein Supra, co-defendant J. Brownie Samukai the then Minister of Defense with Criminal mind, personally authorized and cosigned defendant J. Nyumah Dorkor, then Comptroller of the Defense Ministry, thereby causing the direct withdrawal and or transferred of US $ 852,860 and intentionally expended same basically on actives that were already provided for under the National Budget of the Republic of Liberia, such as AFL operation.
In addition, to the theft, co-defendant, J. Brownie Samukai Jr. illegally paid US $ 50,00.00 as death benefits to the families of the late General Abdurrahman, who did not contribute anything to the fund, while serving AFL as Chief of Staff, as evidence showed in the indictment.
Former Defense Minister was arrested along with Joseph Johnson and brought to court on Friday where they filed their bond of over 2m USD. By Never G. Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com