Kakata – Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Margibi County Thursday sentenced two Liberian women to 10 years imprisonment for illicit importation of narcotics into Liberia, criminal conspiracy, and criminal facilitation.
Report by Yawah Y. Jaivey in Kakata, Margibi County
The jury, sitting in its February Term of court at the13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata, Margibi County on Monday, March 18, brought down a unanimous guilty verdict against convicts Nathlyne Teta Gbessagee, 36, and Cleo Karpeh, 33.
The pair, following the jury unanimous guilty verdict, filed a motion for new trial, but the motion was held and denied by the Judge on ground that the evidence provided against them (convicts) were overwhelming.
Judge Gbeisay confirmed and affirmed the jury’s unanimous guilty verdict against co-defendant Nathlyne Teta Gbessagee and sentenced her to imprisonment for the period of 10 years.
Co-defendant Cleo Karpeh was similarly adjudged guilty of the crime of criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation and sentenced to prison for the period of 10 years.
The defense team of the two defendants has taken exception to the court’s ruling and filed in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia.
It can be recalled, on November 14, 2018, Gbessagee was arrested at the Roberts International Airport while heading from the Republic of Madagascar.
According to documents obtained by LDEA Officers, defendant Gbessagee departed Madagascar on November 10, 2018 on board a Kenya Flight No: 5595 and arrived on November 14, 2018, at the Roberts International Airport at 3:20 PM. The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Team intercepted her after a brief stay with the Customs Officers and asked her to reach the LDEA Office.
“A search was made on her luggage and found therefrom (8) eight kilos of unprocessed heroin with a street value of US$ 192,000.00 or its equivalent of L$28,800,000.00,” the LDEA charged sheet states.
Defendants Gbessagee was then arrested, and whisked to the headquarters of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency and turned over to the Investigation Section.
In her voluntary statement, she said that a man had arranged with her to travel and bring back with her the drugs into the country.
She also stated that both of them always meet at the Renaissance Entertainment Center at the Duport Road Junction. It was during one of these outings that she was reportedly approached on whether she could make a trip to the Republic of Madagascar to get his drugs.
The defendant then answered in the affirmative and they planned the trip. She told investigators that she was promised US$1200.00 for the trip and she accepted because she was in desperate of the cash.
In Madagascar, she said her luggage was changed by the contact person with a new suitcase already stocked with the illegal drugs.
Based on her confession and coupled with the seizure of the eight kilos of the unprocessed heroine, the Investigation Section of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) charged the defendant as defined in 14.101 of the Amended New Panel Law of the Republic of Liberia.
At the same time, Cleo Karpeh, who was at large, was arrested on November 25, 2018, by officers of the LDEA on the case that emanated from Madagascar involving Gbessagee.
At the same time, Marcus Soko, the Director General of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has welcomed the court’s ruling noting that the sentencing of the two convicts will serve as a deterrent to others.
He craves the judicial system to effectively work along with his agency in curtailing the importation of illicit substances into the country through the prosecution of drug cartels.