FLASHBACK: Rita Sarta Williams (right) being whisked off to prison at the start of the case in June
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia–Criminal Court “C” presided over by its assigned judge Joe S. Barkon today, Wednesday, July 2,2025 sentenced a female, Rita Sarta Williams to three years and six months in prison for narcotic drug trafficking.
Last month, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) sent the 56-year-old Rita Sarta Williams to court on multiple charges including illicit trafficking, sale, distribution, and possession of controlled drugs.
Defendant Williams was indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County in late August of 2024 for crimes of unlicensed importation of controlled drugs or substance (14.83), unlicensed possession of controlled drugs and substance (14.89), unlicensed possession, sale, trade administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, dispatch in transit and transportation of controlled drug or substance (14.85) a felony of the first degree.
According to the Court ruling, the testimony of the Chairperson of the Liberia Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Benetta Collins Andrew provided a professional clarity as to the practice of medicine, the procedure and standards laid down in the treatment of patients in Liberia, and the licensing of medical practitioners to include the Nurses, Physician Assistant, Doctors, Surgeons, Laboratory Technicians, X-ray Technician, and among others.
Defendant William has earlier complained about her health condition which led the to subpoenaed the health practitioner at the ELWA hospital who attended to the defendant to bring her medical records to confirm or not whether she has any health issues.
Judge Barkon added that the Court takes the testimony of Dr. Benetta Collins Andrew that the Attending Physician, Andrew Kain, who attended to the Defendant as a patient at the ELWA Hospital was not licensed by LMDC to practice medicine in Liberia, which act is unethical and contrary to the rules, procedures, and operating Standards for the practice of medicine in Liberia.
The ruling further said that, the Physician Assistant at the ELWA hospital was out of authority to have signed and submitted to the Court the medical report of the Defendant; said report should have been signed by his supervisor, a medical Doctor that supervised his medical duties at the ELWA Hospital.
“With the clarity being provide to this Court by the chairperson and head of the LMDC, the mother Institution that regulates the practice of medicine in Liberia, this would say that the Physician Assistant, Andrew Kain’s assertion about the medical condition of the Defendant, is characterized by misrepresentation, unprofessionalism, and deceit, which was done purposely to satisfy the presentation made by her to the Court regarding her medical condition.”
Therefore, the medical report of the Defendant is hereby ordered set aside and stricken from the case file, and the Defendant’s medical examination should be repeated any time to her convenience while she is serving her sentence period the ruling said.
This Court further says that the act of the Defendant, to which she remorsefully pleaded guilty to, as per the charges in the Indictment during her arraignment in open court, is in violation of Section 14.83, the unlicensed importation of controlled drugs or substances, Section14.89, the unlicensed possession of controlled drugs or substances, Section 14.85 the unlicensed sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, dispatch in transit and transportation of controlled drugs or substances, of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act of 2023.
The grade of the offenses is a Felony of the First Degree, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years and a minimum sentence of ten (10) years, and for the purpose of bail, it is non-bailable. Therefore, the human Surety posed before this Court for the medical leave of the Defendant is hereby withdrawn since it was utilized.
WHEREFORE AND IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, it is the candid decision of this Court that the Defendant, for entering a guilty plea voluntarily, is hereby ordered sentence to prison for a sentence to plea THREE YEARS (3) YEARS SIX (6) MONTHS and that TWO (2) MONTHS to the expiry date of her sentence period, she should be released to the authorities of the Division of Probation Services at the Ministry of Justice, the Republic of Liberia for counseling and Probation services, which shall prepare her for reintegration into the Society and make meaningful contribution to societal development.
However, the pre-sentence report indicated that the defendant begged for mercy in open court and promised never to get involved in such act, as it was her first time to trade in such a business.
Her normal course of business is said to have been in the shipment of used household materials from the Netherlands, collecting old things (living rooms chairs, bed, mattresses, etc, placing them in containers and shipping them to Liberia for sale.