Monrovia — The Judge of Criminal Court 'C', Blamo Dixon, has summoned the management and employees of FrontPageAfrica newspaper regarding the paper's recent reportage on the infamous US$100M cocaine trial in the country. The report raised questions about allegations of bribes within the corridors of the justice system which is believed to have landed the defendants the unanimous not-guilty verdict.
Previously, the Criminal Court at the Temple of Justice acquitted Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djalo, Oliver Zayzay, and Malam Conte on charges related to money laundering, possession and importation of controlled drugs, and criminal conspiracy.
Prior to the verdict, Judge Blamo Dixon informed the jurors that should they decide on a not-guilty verdict, the Liberian government would have to return the over US$200,000 seized from the defendants by the government upon their arrest.
Barely 24 hours after the shocking verdict the defendants fled the country, leaving behind the US$200,000 that was ordered to be returned to them after their acquittal.
The Minister of Justice, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, expressed dissenting views on the non-guilty verdict rendered by the jury.
Justice Minister Dean described the verdict as appalling and stated that it undermined Liberia's collective efforts to combat drug trafficking and other related crimes. He emphasized the need for all three branches of the government to take responsibility in fighting drug trafficking and money laundering effectively. Minister Dean further expressed concerns about the perception of a compromised judiciary and raised questions about the jury trial process.
On May 19, FrontPageAfrica reported that multiple sources confirmed that a sum of US$500,000 was used to influence the jury's decision. The report also cited an anonymous diplomatic source stating that the US authorities would make serious attempts to arrest the accused due to a lack of trust in Liberia's judicial system.
In response to FrontPageAfrica's report, the judge at Criminal Court 'C' issued a writ of summons to the newspaper's management and employees. The court summoned the management of the newspaper and its entire staff to appear on June 13 to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court. The summons specifically referred to the report's claim that cash was used to influence the jurors' ruling.
The Court: "...That the Defendant Management is hereby summoned to show cause why Defendant Management should not be held in Criminal Contempt of Court and to establish and prove where, when, how and who received and splashed the "US$500,000.00 around Judicial Circles to influence the Jury" in the US$100 Million Cocaine Case that was heard, determined and disposed of by the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court "C" for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, as reported in Volume 17, Number 093 of the May 19, 2023 Edition of the Frontage Africa Newspaper."
However, FPA Management insists that it stands by its story and would not under any condition disclose its sources.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what's going on with the summons of the FrontPageAfrica management in relation to this controversial verdict, which we have reported and criticized without any regret. We stand by our sources and our report on this matter to the very end," FPA Editorial Board stated in an Editorial.
The summons of FrontPageAfrica comes amidst the recent arrest of a Liberian woman in India for attempting to smuggle cocaine.
The 38-year-old woman, carrying a Liberian passport was arrested on May 29 for what is being reported as one of the biggest smuggling operations at the Kempegowda International Airport. She was reportedly visiting India on a tourist visa. She was caught red-handed while attempting to smuggle 2kg of cocaine, valued at Rs 30 crore (3,628,710.00), cleverly concealed within a specially designed hand luggage.
The woman whose name has not yet been disclosed to the press is believed to be a paid conduit for a global racket operating out of Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy during a press conference on Wednesday said he was saddened to see the acquittal of suspects in both a recent human trafficking case and in the US$100 million cocaine trafficking case.
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In his monthly press roundtable, Amb. McCarthy said: "While I hesitate to second-guess any jury and I fully admit that I am not privy to all the details of the prosecutions or their defenses, I hope this does not send a signal of weakness in enforcement to international criminal cartels.
"From an outsider's perspective, it is alarming that convictions could not be obtained in Liberia, even when the evidence seemed so overwhelming. I am also worried about what these developments portend for Liberia's justice sector, which the United States Government has supported with many millions of dollars over the years in capacity development."
Amb. McCarthy's statement comes in the wake of the Ministry of Justice's failed attempt to convince the Supreme Court to stop Criminal Court 'C' from enforcing the jurors' verdict in favor of defendants Malam Conte, Adulai Djibril Djalo, Makki Admeh Issam, and Oliver A. Zayzay in a writ of prohibition.
The writ was also aimed at halting the return of the US$210,000 that had been seized by the state during the arrest of the four men.
