The NEW DAWN senses a clear gameplay in the US$100 million cocaine case at Criminal Court "A", Temple of Justice involving four defendants that have been released by the court because of lack of evidence and reportedly absconded the country.
Barely days after the jury panel in the US$100 million cocaine burst case at Criminal Court "A", Temple Justice in Monrovia last week Thursday brought down a not guilty verdict against the four defendants, calling for their immediate acquittal for lack of evidence by prosecutors, the Government of Liberia thru the Ministry of Justice is calling for their re-arrest, squashing the verdict.
It has been the slightest imagination of the Liberian public that despite overwhelming evidence that defendants Maiam Conte, Adulai Djibri Djalo, Makki Admeh Issam and Oliver A. Zayzay have link to the container that brought the drugs at the Freeport of Monrovia and taken to TRH Trading Corporation's warehouse in Topoe Village along Japan Freeway outside Monrovia where the consignment was offloaded, would have been acquitted and released from detention.
But this is what happened on Thursday, May 19, to the disappointment of most Liberians, particularly ordinary citizens, who are victims of dangerous drugs being brought into the country by unscrupulous people posing as legitimate business persons.
Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musa Dean says the verdict undermines the collective efforts of Liberia and its international partners in clamping down on illegal transit of illicit drugs via West Africa as a conduit to trade narcotics from Latin America and other parts of the world
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What is even disgusting more is that just after the defendants' release, they are reportedly nowhere to be found with speculations that they may have been escorted out of the country with the help of interested parties.
It beats the imagination of keen observers of Liberian governance structure that defendants duly charged based on overwhelming evidence and put on trial would be adjudged not guilty, released by the court and allegedly escaped with no trace.
This is difficult to believe and is not the first time. We vividly recall the case of former passport director Andrew Wonplue, who was denied entry to the U.S. by the State Department for his involvement in the passport scandal.
In 2020, the Government of Liberia thru the Ministry of Justice indicted and tried Mr. Wonplue for passport fraud, but the court acquitted him for lack of evidence.
However, after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo barred him and his immediate family from entering the United States, the government re-indicted Wonplue and re-ordered his arrest but the former passport boss reportedly absconded and has since not been brought to justice for bringing Liberian Diplomatic Passport to disrepute.
We clearly sense a similar scenario in the US$100 million Cocaine case where indictees put on trial were acquitted of all charges and set free only for the state to be calling for their re-arrest with reports that they have absconded. We fervently hope that this is not the case and the four defendants will be brought back to face the full weight of the law.
