They’re Held In Contempt And Fined
PHOTO: Liberia’s Justice Min. Cllr. Frank Musa-Dean
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmaial.com
The Full Bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia today, Tuesday, June 6, 2023 held in contempt Liberian Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie and Solicitor General designate Nyanti Tuan for failure, after failing to appear before the highest court in the land.
As a result, the court has fined two of the top CDC government officials US$500 each after holding them in contempt.
On the evening of Thursday, May 18, 2023, the defendants in Liberia’s biggest narcotic drug case were found not guilty by the empaneled Jury of the Criminal Court “C” in the Liberian capital. Defendants In US$100M Cocaine Case Found Not Guilty In Liberia – News Public Trust
Both Ministers Dean and Rennie were held in contempt of court and they were expected to appear before the full Bench of the Supreme Court to show cause why they should not be held in contempt after bringing the Judiciary to public disrepute following the loosing of the US$100 million cocaine case.
Sunday, May 21, 2023, Liberia’s Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musa Dean strongly criticized the not guilty verdict handed down by the empaneled Jury of the Criminal Court “C” against several defendants indicted in connection to the importation of US$100 million worth of cocaine in which United States security provided the intelligence on the shipment to their Liberian counterparts.
“Minister Dean said what is even more concerning and despicable is the fact that these kinds of verdicts only lend credence to the widely held international and local perception that the judiciary-namely the courts are inherently compromised and it has again ignited the lingering debate of whether the judicial system should continue with the age-old jury-trial process when there are always talks about the unethical practice of jury tampering during such trials.,” a press release from the Information Ministry said..
He said for Liberia to play its role effectively in this international fight against drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes associated with illicit drug transportation and sale, all three branches of the government must take this fight as a collective responsibility and not just the executive.
“If the Executive through the Joint Security of the country, working in concert with their international counterparts, is ramping up the strife to apprehend and bring to book illicit drug traffickers and money launderers, our drug laws must compliment such efforts through appropriate legislations, and the courts must be ready to act in conformity with the laws and gravity of the breach of our laws,” Liberia’s Attorney General asserted.
He said it becomes worrisome and shameful as in the case of the recent verdict, for the courts to be setting hardcore criminals free when the evidence is overwhelming in the face of international security collaboration that tracked and brought the perpetrators of this heinous crime before the law.
The Justice Minister said the ruling has also brought Liberia to international ridicule. He said even more lampooning is the fact that hours after the verdict and the release of the defendants by Judge A. Blamo Dixon, the four men have now absconded.
He wondered why the men would flee or hide if they truly believed that they had committed no criminal offence. This is sickening, he said.
“The court ordered the return of the two-hundred thousand United States dollars seized by the joint security during the arrest of the four men, so why are they not around to receive their money, if they know they have nothing to run from” the Attorney General Dean questioned.
The joint security had said they were continuing to mount its search for the four men who continue to remain at large.
The two Ministers held in contempt through the Solicitor General designate Nyanti Tuan informed members of the Supreme Court Bench that the two Ministers held in contempt travel out of Liberia today June 6, for an official duties when they expected to be in court without any written excuse.
The Solicitor General fine came in after he went representing the two Ministers when it was the Justice Minister and Attorney General whom should have been the one to represent he and the other government officials but were nowhere to be found.