One of the defendants in the high-profile human trafficking trial at Criminal Court "A" has admitted to the charges outlined in the state indictment.
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Shirley Johnny informed the court of her intention to make a statement, despite her attorney's advice to wait. Johnny acknowledged that some of the allegations in the indictment were accurate and agreed to testify for the prosecution.
When questioned by the court, Johnny said, "Some of the allegations contained in the indictment are true. What I saw is what I will talk about because I was there," she stated.
After a consultation, prosecutors invoked Chapter 18, Section 18.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law, entering a nolle prosequi and dropping all charges against Johnny following her agreement to cooperate with the state.
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The court granted the prosecution's request, removed Johnny from the defendants' docket, and qualified her as a prosecution witness.
Testifying before the jury, Johnny stated that she was recruited from Nimba County with promises of travel to Canada, after paying a processing fee of US$3,500. She alleged that she and others were subsequently taken to a compound in Mambas Town, where they were pressured to recruit additional individuals and solicit money from relatives.
Johnny further testified that occupants who failed to comply were subjected to punishments such as kneeling under the sun, forced physical exercises, verbal abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. She also described poor living conditions and recounted the death of a fellow occupant, identified as Ophelia Miatay.
According to Johnny, she decided to cooperate with prosecutors because she wanted to tell the truth about what occurred at the compound. She became a state witness after charges against her were dropped.
