PHOTO: Charles Sirleaf and another flanked by Court Officers
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Just after the Criminal Court ‘C’ finally granted separate trials’ motion for former Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) Deputy Governor, Charles Sirleaf and other ex-CBL officials, the CDC government has now dropped charges against him and three others.
But the government has not dropped charges against former CBL Governor proper, Mr. Milton Weeks on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
Charles Sirleaf, son of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and three others– Dorbor M. Hagba, Richard H. Walker and Joseph Dennis–were indicted since February 2019, by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County on crimes of Economic Sabotage, Money Laundering, Criminal Solicitation.
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 government initially attempted to pursue legal action against Crane Currency, the foreign company that printed the money but has since dropped its claims.
Richard Walker previously served as Director of Operations, Joseph Dennis as Deputy Director for Internal Audit, while Dorbor Hagba served as Director of the Finance Department.
The corruption case against Sirleaf and the three others were Nolle Prosequoi with the exception of Weeks, because the former CBL Governor had earlier taken an Appeal to the Supreme Court through his Lawyer, Cllr. Abrahim Sillah.
State Lawyer said the government dropped the charges in line with Section 18.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
Before the government dropped the charges, Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay granted a motion for separate trials for them. it is argued that it was the CBL’s Executive Board of Governors that gave the go ahead for the printing of the excess billions during the final days of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration.
Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay said the court reached the ruling after a Writ for continuance filed by one of the lawyers representing Weeks was denied.
Cllr. Abrahim Sillah rejected the ruling and subsequently announced an appeal at the level of the Supreme Court.
Judge Gbeisay has also ordered the reopening on May 15, 2020, of the trial of co-defendant Charles Sirleaf, who was granted bail in August 2019 on compassionate grounds.
Subsequently, a mandate was forwarded ordering the court to resume jurisdiction over the case.
At the call of the case, Counsels representing Charles Sirleaf and others prayed severance trial, while counsels for Milton A. Weeks prayed for continuance into the matter.
Upon receipt of an assignment by the judge, from the Chief Justice, reassigning Judge Gbeisay to Criminal Court C for this May Term of Court, it issued an assignment, specifically for ruling on the motion for severance trials on May 12, 2020 at 10:00am.
The appeal of co-defendant Weeks’ legal representative is pending before the Supreme Court.