Government lawyers suffered another serious blow at Criminal Court ‘C’ when Judge Yamie Gbeisay acquitted the four accused ex-CBL officials in connection with the alleged missing billion Liberian dollars.
Judge Yamie Gbeisay on Tuesday made the ruling against government lawyers saying they did not establish the facts to prove that over Two-Billion Liberian Dollars got missing in accordance with evidence of the Presidential Investigation Term’s report, and the Kroll Analysis.
Judge Gbeisay then wondered why the prosecution didn’t drop the charges against former Governor Milton Weeks and others on the basis of insufficient evidence to prosecute them.
The Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge further maintained that there was no evidence to show that the money entered the defendants’ pockets, rather the money was infused in the economy.
On the issue of authorization to print, the court sees that as no crime and noted that an understanding was reached in printing the money, and that the action of the government to receive the money and infuse into the economy indicated the involvement of the government.
Although the law prevents government lawyers from taking an appeal in criminal cases, they however took exception to Judge Gbeisay’s verdict and announced an appeal to the Supreme Court as provided by Chapter 24, Section 24.1 and 2 of the Criminal Procedure of Liberia.
Prior to Tuesday’s judgment, Government lawyer Counselor Jerry Garlawoloh told the Court that they have proven their case against ex-CBL officials beyond reasonable doubts and wanted the Court to convict them as provided by Law.
But Co-defendant Milton Weeks’ lawyer Counselor Abraham Sillah said that prosecutors did not produce any evidence to indict the defendants.
Counselor Sillah maintained that evidence adduced by state lawyers during the trial were weak and empty, claiming that they wanted to use the court as a weapon to get at important people.
As for the ex-CBL Board Members’ lawyer, Counselor Gloria Musu-Scott, she argued that the defendants acted on the order of the Legislature.
Counselor Scott accused former House Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay of lying under oath for the Government of Liberia saying the Legislature did not give CBL the authority to print money but are using the money that was illegally printed.
The four ex-CBL officials, Milton Weeks, Elsie Dossen Badio, David Farhat and Kollie Tamba, were indicted by the government for multiple crimes ranging from theft, economic sabotage, money laundering, misuse of public funds, criminal conspiracy, and criminal facilitation.
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