As Criminal Court ‘C’ Probes Controversial Bond In The Over US400K Saudi Rice Scandal Linking Some Top Former Gov’t Officials
FLASHBACK: Some of the former officials indicted in connection with the Saudi Rice scandal at the Temple of Justice
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
EMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia—Suspicion continues to hang over the bail bond filed by several former top government officials linked to the over US$400,000.00 Saudi rice scandal.
The bonds being questioned by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force concern six of the eleven defendants charged in connection with the alleged mismanagement of over 25,000 bags of rice donated by Saudi government to Liberia in the tone of US$425,918.
If the Criminal Court ‘C’ finally establishes that the bond is defective, this could likely find themselves back to jail after their bond was challenged by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force.
The defendants’ controversial bonds in the amount of US$ 851,900 was filed by the Sky International Insurance Company.
The defendants covered by the bond are Henry O. Williams, Augustine Kollie, Archievego M. Doe, Rosetta L. Gbassay Bowah, Evelyn Gbee, and Memie Davis. One suspect, Edward Konneh, a Response Officer at NDMA, was said to have been at large.
Recently, the Liberian government indicted Dee Maxwell Kamayah, Henry O. Williams, Augustine Kollie, Archievego M. Doe, Rosetta L. Gbassay Bowah, Evelyn Gbee, and Memie Davis, Varney A. Sirleaf, Thelma Saywer, Edris Bility and Momolu Massaquoi for the Crimes of Economic Sabotage, theft of property, misuse of public money, property or records, illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money, misapplication of entrusted property, abuse of powers and Criminal Conspiracy.
Dramatically, during the ruling on the prosecution challenge to the financial capacity of the bond, it was discovered that the Sky International insurance Company has a total asset balance of US$1,271,569 as at December 31,2024.
Unfortunately, the clerk certificate from Criminal Court ‘A’ established that the Sky International Insurance Company had posted bond in the amount of US 11, 491,864, which is far above the current financial position of the company, which is said to have claimed the attention of Judge Joe S. Barkon of Criminal Court C, who has ordered an immediate investigation into the matter.
Ordering the investigation, Judge Barkon mandated the clerk to communicate with the management of Sky International Insurance Company to submit within the period of ten days to provide a full status report on all bonds in which Sky International Insurance company is the surety.
“Both in Criminal and Civil cases and the status of those cases” he added.
“If it is proven that Sky International Insurance company has the current total asset of US$ 1,271,569 and that it has a bond obligation of US$11,491,864 as reflected in the clerk certificate from Criminal Court A, such report could raise serious concerns in that if the information is true it puts the insurance company in jeopardy, meaning, it is heading to the position of financially insufficient or may face bankruptcy if it were to settle those obligations that may have exceeded its asset” he indicated.
Therefore, Judge Barkon ruled that the bond filed by the defendants from the Sky International Insurance Company are hereby ordered denied and set aside and the matter shall be proceeded with on its merits for ends of Justice.