MONROVIA, LIBERIA (Fabine Kwiah reports)-Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Nancy Sammy has granted Government lawyers’ application to drop charges against Crane Currency.
Judge Sammy took the decision Monday, January 20, 2020, after Government lawyers filed a motion on January 10, 2020, seeking the Court to drop the charges against the Company.
Prior to the ruling, the Government of Liberia had earlier charged Crane Currency and five former officials of the Central Bank of Liberia with money laundering.
In the ruling, Judge Sammy said:” Crane Currency has not been brought under the jurisdiction of the Court like the others.”
The Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge, however, noted that Government filed the motion to dismiss the indictment consistent with Section 18.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
In another development, Criminal Court ‘A’ Judge Roosevelt Willie has ordered for new trial in the human trafficking case involving defendants Aletha Bryant and Patricia Dweh.
The women were accused of abducting one Nora Freeman’s 13 year old daughter on grounds that they were taking the child to America.
Trial jurors on Monday, January 20, 2020, could neither convict nor acquit the two Liberian women on allegation of kidnapping and human trafficking.
Judge Willie’s order is consistent with Chapter 22 Section 22.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia.
Eight out of the twenty-man penal jurors ruled in favor of the Government of Liberia, while four ruled for the defendants, resulting into a hang verdict.
Still in consonance with the law, the Magisterial Sitting at the Monrovia Central Prison on Monday, January 20, 2020, released twelve persons, after serving long period in prison.
The twelve committed a number of crimes ranging from theft, persistent non-support, simple assault and misapplication of entrusted property, among others.
Assistant Justice Minister for Litigation Cllr. Wesseh A. Wesseh told ELBC that the inmates committed minor offenses and have overstayed in jail.
Minister Wesseh disclosed that the Magisterial Sitting has been dormant for six months, where the inmates’ files were pending based on minor offenses.
He said the sitting is a fast-track court where cases are speedily tried in the prison compound, disclosing that the Justice Ministry, in collaboration with the Judiciary, will ensure that minor offenses are tracked.
