By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The Chief Clerk of Liberia’s House of Representatives, Mildred Sayon has testified in the ongoing excess printing of 10 billion Liberian dollars banknotes case at the Criminal Court ‘C’.
Appearing in court on Monday July 20, 2020, the Chief Clerk testified that there was no joint resolution issued by the Legislature for the printing of L$10bn.
Madam Mildred Sayon was Subpoenaed by Court on request from state lawyers to produce the minutes of the hearing conducted by the House of Representatives regarding the alleged missing 16bn dollars banknotes saga, with the then Executive Governor Milton A. Weeks.
Subpoenaed witness Mildred Sayon also testified to a communication under the signature of both the Secretary of the Senate, J. Nangbolor Singbeh and the Chief Clerk of the House Representatives written to the Executive Governor of the CBL on July 19, 2017.
She said that she can remembered doing a communication along with the Secretary of the Liberian Senate to the Executive Governor of the CBL for the printing of five billion Liberian dollars banknotes.
While on the cross examination, witness Sayon was questioned whether it is true that prior to or before receiving the instruction to send Court Marked PCBL/34 to the CBL, there was discussions, meetings and engagement between the House of Representatives and CBL relative to the contend of this letter?
Responding, she said, “I will have to check my records but I can’t record now.
During the cross -examination by defense lawyers, a communication was read in court dated July 13, 2017, addressed to she Mildred M. Sayon, Chief Clerk, House of Representatives written by Jefferson S. N. Kanbo, Director/ Research policy and planning of the Central Bank of Liberia.
“I present my complements and referred you to a request from the special Committee of the House of Representatives. During our discussion on July 12, 2017, in which the special Committee requested the CBL to provide latest information on currency in circulation, among others…. and the next paragraph details information on the currency in circulation as at May 2017 as 12.49 billion of the 5 billion printed in 2016, and says 1.3billion is still in the reserved vault which is part of the currency in circulation. The question posted was do you remember receiving the said communication from the CBL dated July 13, 2017?”
The House of Representatives Chief Clerk responded that she can’t remember.
Madam Sayon answered most of the defense Lawyers’questions by saying, “I don’t know or can’t recall.”
The Defendants are expected to take the witness stand this week to testify in their own behalf.
Meanwhile, state lawyers have rested with both documentaries and oral evidences, amid reservation and promised to bring rebuttal witnesses when the need arises.
Those who are currently on trial are Milton A. Weeks former Executive Governor CBL, David M. Farhat, Elsie Dossen Badio and Kollie Tamba for the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia, Misuse of public money, property or records, theft of property and or illegal disbursement of public money, Criminal Conspiracy and facilitation.