PHOTO: Former CBL Board during ex-Governor Milton Weeks’s Adm
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Barley few weeks after the state dropped charges against former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s son, Charles E. Sirleaf with prejudice to the state and three other former Central Bank of Liberia officials without prejudice to state, the former CBL Board has now been indicted.
This happened on Monday, June 8, 2020 at the Criminal Court ‘C’ in the Liberian capital, with Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay presiding.
With the exception of former Deputy Governor, Charles Sirleaf, the three other officials earlier set free could be called back anytime, with a new indictment in the 16 billion Liberian dollar banknotes saga.
They were first indicted in February 2019. They were accused of involvement in the illegal printing of billions of Liberian banknotes well in excess of 16 billion not authorized by the National Legislature.
The dropping of charges totally from Charles Sirleaf with prejudice to state meaning he will never be called back and without prejudice to the state involving Dorbor Hagba, Richard Walker and Joseph Dennis has re-indicted because their charges were dropped without prejudice to the state.
Former CBL governor Milton A. Weeks was never part of those who charges were dropped against whether with or without prejudice, because his appeal was pending before the Supreme Court but he has been re-indicted today along with the former Board of Governors of the CBL.
The former members of the CBL Board of Governors indicted are David M. Farhat, Melissa A. Emeh, Elsie Dossen Badio and Kollie Tampa.
Milton A. Weeks, former Executive Governor along with Dorbor M. Hagba, former Director of Finance; Richard H. Walker former Director for Banking and Joseph Dennis, former Director for Internal Audit, whose previous indictment were nulle prosequoi recently, will now be re-indicted.
State Lawyers argued that they were served in line with Chapter 18 sub section 18.1 and defense interposed no objection.
Both the former Board of Governors and former officials of CBL have been indicted for seven crimes. They are theft of property, economic Sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia, misuse of public money, property or Record, theft or illegal disbursement of public money, criminal conspiracy and Criminal facilitation for their alleged printing of over two billion Liberian Dollar banknotes.
The current indictment served on Milton Weeks and others is the third indictments now.
According to the indictment, the alleged crimes committed by ex CBL officials were in flagrant violation of Chapter 15, section 15.51 of the New penal law of Liberia in the form and manner as follows to writ:
“That an act adopting a new financial institutions act of 1974, amended as financial institutions act of 1999, defines a member of the board of directors under section 2.11 of the act: as person by whatever name he may be called, carrying out or empowered to carry out substantially the same functions in relation to the direction of the financial institutions as those carried out by a member of the board of directors of a corporation organized under the Associations law of Liberia, Title 5 of the Liberian code of laws revised, which means all corporate powers are or shall be exercised by or under authority of and the business and affairs of every corporation shall be managed, by a board of directors in line with Title 5, section 6.1 Liberian codes of law revised, Association Law of Liberia, titled management of business of corporation.”
State lawyers filed several counts against the ex CBL officials which count one said prior to the printing of L$10,000,000,000,000 Liberian Dollars bank Notes by the CBL board of Governors that included defendants David M. Farhat, Melissa Emeh, Elsie Dossen Badio, Kollie Tampa, and Milton Weeks, the total quantity of Liberian banknotes in circulation which the CBL governors board’s resolution No. BR-06/2017 (undated) alleged had the full consent of the legislature and had authorized the printing and subsequent issuance of new L$ banknotes; the replacement of all legacy L$ notes and introduction of L$ coins in lower denomination was 13.792 bn.
For his part, defense lawyer Cllr. Abrahim Sillah request the court to permit a temporary release of Mr. Weeks when the new indictment is introduced on the current bond to ensure his day to day appearance as of when command and reminded by the court.
Meanwhile, Criminal Court C Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay said the court will ascertain further and assess whether the property used to indemnify defendant Weeks is still in tight and whether the sureties of those properties are still available.
On the basis of said view, this court shall proceed to use it’s digressions in favor or against the Defendants.