By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The ongoing trial of the four persons accused of smuggling USD$100M cocaine into Liberia via the seaport has taken a dramatic turn, with the defendants’ Lawyers asking the Criminal Court to subpoena managements of the National Port Authority, APM Terminals and others to appear and testify.
Others expected to testify include James Hinneh of the Customs Brokers Union, Mr. Othello Garblah Publisher of the New Dawn Newspaper; the Management of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Authorities of the Anti-Smuggling Unit of the Custom Services of Liberia.
Request for their testimonies come while a defense witness Malam Conte was being across examine by the prosecution.
In November last year, the Liberia National Police over the weekend forwarded to court t suspects involved in the $100 million cocaine saga, this West African nation’s largest illicit drugs bust to date.
The culprits have been charged with drugs trafficking, money laundering, Criminal Conspiracy and criminal facilitation amongst others crimes, after their arrests on October 1, 2022.
The crackdown, which was largely made possible with extensive assistance from United States security apparatus from the point of departure in South America up to arrival in Monrovia, came amid repeated calls on Liberian Lawmakers to strengthen and pass the country’s drugs law by making the crime nonbailable.
In their request to the court this week, the defense team said: “Counsel for defendants most respectfully prayed the court to order the clerk of Criminal Court “C” to issue Writs of Subpoena Decue Tecum on the Management of the National port Authority, and the APM Terminals as well as writ of Subpoena Ad- Testificandum on several other potential witnesses as contained on our written list: James Hinneh, of the Custom Brokers Union, Mr. Othello Gablah , Publisher of the New Dawn Newspaper, the Management of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and finally the authority of the Anti- Smuggling Unit of the Custom Services of Liberia so that these witnesses can appear and testify in favor of the defendants.”
According to the defense team, APN and APM Terminals are to appear and testify as to whether the container said to have contained the drugs whether it was check and cleared by authorities of the NPA and APM terminal.
As for James Hinneh, the president of the Custom Brokers Union and Othello Gablah , the publisher of the New Dawn Newspaper will also appear to testify on the allegations made by Hinneh that the Government give special priority to the TRH not to check or inspect any consignment they may have shipped into the country, which allegations were published in the New Dawn Newspaper.
In response, Judge Blamo Dixon noted, “The application of the defense for the issuance of writ of Subpoena Decu – Tecum and Ad- Testificandum on the individuals and institutions was noted and granted.”
“The Court shall set the date for the appearance of the said subpoena witnesses after the defense shall have consumed the entire defendants in the term to court on the witness stand,” the court concluded.