By Never G. Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
After being acquitted from bribery and other economic crimes on Tuesday, Senator Varney Sherman, former National Investment Commission Chairman, Dr. Richard Tolbert have expressed gratitude to God for their freedom.
In an interview with Reporters after the judgement of the court, both men said they are “grateful to God for setting them free from the US$950,000 Sable Mining case, with Judge Peter Gbeneweleh ruling that they were cleared of the charges due to lack of sufficient evidence.
As those acquitted were leaving the Criminal Court ‘C’, some of their family members and supporters were jubilating on the grounds of the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
Both Senator Sherman and Dr. did not rule out Global Witness to court, but said it will be decided later. It was based on the London-based rights campaign group’s investigation that the government of former President Sirleaf indicted them.
Senator Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County and others were indicted for the crimes bribery, economic sabotage, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation amongst others.
Others cleared of the charges are former House Speaker J. Alex Tyler, E. C. B. Jones jr. Christopher Onanuga, Richard Tolbert, Eugene Shannon, Morris Saytumah and Willie Belleh set free from all charges.
According to Judge Peter W.Gbeneweleh, the defendants are not guilty of the crimes economic sobatage, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation and bribery as charged in the indictment because prosecution did not prove beyond all reasonable doubt.
The court said they are hereby discharged from further answering the multiple offenses charged in the indictment without delay and their constitutional and statutory rights are hereby restored with immediate effect and their criminal appearance bonds are hereby ordered returned to them by the sheriff of the court.
The Judge further said that section 75 of the PPCC draft act of 2005 is contained in page 62 and 69.
The Court also ruled that bank statement of 2010 is vagued and should have been proved by prosecution during the trial.
Judge Gbeneweleh also stated during the ruling that on the issue of avidafit, presented by prosecution as evidence, co-defendant Varney Sherman challeged the avidafit and the court ruled that it was signed so therefore it cannot be taken into consideration.
Furthermore, Henie Van Niekerk who gave the avidafit in South Africa did not appear to testify to his own avidafit and all the testimonies presented by prosecution were hearsay evidence.