After Being On The Run Several Times
PHOTO: One of the Defendants Pobleh P. Wea, Sheriff of the Civil Law Court Annex B
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- It is often said that the same rope that can hang bamboo can also be used to hang monkey is similar to the case of two civil Law Court officials who have been charged and forwarded to court by The Liberia National and later jailed at the Monrovia Central Prison for allegedly stealing money generated by the court during court trial.
After escorting defendants for many years at the Civil Law Court, Defendants Pobleh P. Wea and Nah J. Wollor, sheriff and Clerk of the Civil Law Court Annex-B were charged with the Crimes, “MIS-APPLICATION OF ENTRUSTED PROPERTY, THEFT OF PROPERTY AND CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY”, in the tone of Two Hundred Twenty-Eight Thousand, Three Hundred Sixty United States Dollars and Sixty-Seven Cents (USD$228,360.67).
The alleged acts committed by the two court officials are in violations of Chapter 15 & 10, Sub- Chapter “D”, Sections 15.51, 15.56 & 10.4 of the Revised Penal Law of Liberia, based upon a complaint filed against him by His Honor Ousman F. Feika, Assigned Circuit Judge Civil Law Court Annex B, Temple of Justice, Judiciary Branch, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia.
The police charge sheet revealed that the investigative team established that defendants Nah J. Wollor, Clerk of Civil Law Court Annex and Pobleh P. Wea, Sheriff of Civil Law Court Annex B on several occasions received funds from party litigant as indemnification of parties when judgement is rendered, and said amount was placed into an escrow account so as to safeguard the funds belonging to party litigant.
Deposit slips, withdrawal slips and cheques/checks issued to the court through the sheriff and the clerk office by party litigant, and banks statements from the escrow accounts of both United States Dollars (53030550010299) and Liberian Dollars (53030550010305) from United Bank of African (UBA) Showing the current bank balance of USD$ 103.34 and LRD$20,981.73 and the previous bank balances of USD$ 228,360.67 and LRD$20,772.05 showed that they were in possession of said funds between the period July 1, 2021 to January 8, 2024.
The investigation also gathered that after, defendants Nah J. Wollor, Clerk of the Civil Law Court and Pobleh P. Wea, Sheriff received the funds from party litigants in fulfillment of judgement for summary proceeding to-recover possession of real property.
They were instructed by the Judge of Civil Court Annex B to place the money in an escrow account that will be monitored by them which they did, but with criminal intent started withdrawing funds from the accounts unknown to the judge using the money for their personal use instead of presenting the funds to party litigant, act which was contrary to the sole purpose and intent of the funds have been deposited into an escrow account for safety.
The police provided that such an act gave clues to the investigation that they were knowledgeable of the commission of the crimes and furthermore they two being officers of the court who understands court proceeding and the purpose and intent of the funds deposited into an escrow account, they had prior knowledge of the act perpetrated against the court and party litigant.
Meanwhile, the LNP charge sheets recorded that Ousman F. Feika, Assigned Circuit Judge Civil Law Court Annex B, Temple of Justice, Judiciary Branch, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, who is the complaint averred that, in November 2023, the Civil Law Annex B concluded a summary proceedings case and then ordered the court’s sheriff defendant Pobleh P, Wea, to pay to the successful party the amount of Nine Thousand, Six Hundred United States Dollars (US$9,600.00), which had been paid to him by order of court back in 2022 while the case was ongoing. Complainant continues that after said amount was requested to fulfill Judgement to the party from the defendant Pobleh P. Wea, he pretended that he was getting the money from his account and went into hiding for a month.
In furtherance of his explanation after defendant Pobleh P. Wea refusal to return the funds the court decided to conduct a massive search for the living body of defendant Pobleh P. Wea but such search did not heed no result until a month when defendant Pobleh P. Wea turned himself over to the court.
Complainant averred that after the return of defendant Pobleh P. Wea, he was asked whether he brought the money from his account but he could not explain anything convincing to the court and based on his Conduct preliminary investigation was conducted and from that investigation it was proven that the defendants Pobleh P. Wea Sheriff and Nah J. Wollor Clerk of Court conspired and withdrew all of the monies in the escrow account of the court and they were forwarded to the Ministry of Justice through the County Attorney Office of Montserrado County for internal investigation.