MONROVIA – Mr. Peter Nyanway has accused Grand Gedeh Resident Judge, George S. Wiles Jr., of unlawfully holding his daughter Janet Nyanway at the Grand Gedeh Correction Palace for receiving mobile money from him on behalf of her boyfriend, who had entered into a timber contract with the Judge but disappeared without providing the timbers.
By Mae Azango [email protected]
“Judge Wiles told us to pay the US$500.00 Dollars he transferred to my daughter’s phone as an advance to her boyfriend, who was supposed to deliver the Judge’s Timber. But when I took the money to Judge Wiles, he said he was not accepting the money because since it was my daughter’s phone used for the transaction and her boyfriend is nowhere to be found, she will be responsible to pay the entire sum of US$2,500 taken from him. So, we rallied around, and her friend raised US $600, but Judge Wiles still refused and demanded that we reach the amount to US$800.00, which we did not have.
He further said luckily for him, the boyfriend who had escaped with the Judge’s money was found on the third day and arrested and forwarded to court. “The boyfriend explained to the court that my daughter Janet did not know about the money but he only used her phone because he did not have a mobile money account, so the court should free Janet and hold him responsible. But Judge Wiles insisted we pay the same money he had refused before she is released. Now Janet’s friends, who had raised the money when the boyfriend was at large, are refusing to pay the money because the man for which they were keeping Janet in prison had been arrested and in prison,” he said.
When contacted via mobile phone about refusing money from Mr. Nyanway, Judge Wiles said when the father brought the money to him and asked that he accepts the money and release his daughter and he would make a paper to pay the rest of the money in a given period since the boyfriend was at large, but he told them to round the money up, so the boyfriend was not in the picture, but when the boyfriend was arrested, he requested the father to go and pay the money to the court.
Judge further explained how it all started when he decided to buy some timbers to build, but when he wanted to advance the contractor through his Mobile Money account, the contractor did not have a mobile money account so he suggested Judge Wiles send the money to his girlfriend’s phone, which he did.
“In April of this year, the first Money I transferred to her mobile money account was L$24,750, but when she did not call to say she received the money, I called her and she confirmed that she received the money on behalf of her husband. On June 18, 2023, I transferred another US$300.00, which is around US $435.00 and not US$500.00. But I won’t sit down and allow people to take advantage of me because I am a judge, because it is not fair to me. If her people can pay my money she received on behalf of her boyfriend, I will talk to the Magistrate for her father to sign for her release,” said Judge Wiles.
When asked why the lady is being held after the arrest of the boyfriend who had escaped with the money, Judge Wiles said both the lady and her boyfriend put him under false pretense to rob him of his money.
“According to the law, theft of property by deception, so she is equally liable because it was her phone used to get the money, so she conspired with her boyfriend to steal my money. I am willing not to press charges if her people can pay my money, but if not, she will be charged and sentenced for the crime of restitution,” said Judge Wiles.
However, He For She Crusaders Liberia through its National Coordinator Mr. Tamba F. J. Johnson, appeals to the resident Judge of Grand Gedeh, his honor Judge George Wiles, to pardon Ms. Janet Nyanway for what appears to be criminal facilitation. And He For She Crusaders Liberia believes that a society without any system of justice swims in lawlessness and impunity.
“Every citizen irrespective of position, financial status must respect the rights of other citizens. It has been established that both Janet Nyanway and her boyfriend are indebted to Judge Wiles after receiving money for the delivery of planks. Though Janet Nyanway and her boyfriend are currently being held at the Zwedru City Correction Palace, He For She Crusaders Liberia is appealing to his honor Judge Wiles to pardon young Janet Nyanway who took over 24,000 LD and US300. Our appeal is in relationship to her inability to resolve said amount. Additionally, we are calling on all females of Liberia to be mindful of how to engage in business with fellow individuals because integrity is essential,” said Mr. Johnson.