Monrovia – Liberia’s Solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephas has been accused by the President of the Rubber Planters’ Association of Liberia, Mrs. Wilhelmina G. Mulbah-Siaway of using his power to illegally release a defendant she had taken to the Monrovia City Court for prosecution.
Speaking to Judicial reporters at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia on Tuesday, January 26,2021, Mrs Mulbah-Siaway said defendant Elizabeth Shelley was taken to the court (Monrovia City Court) for prosecution for the alleged commission of the crimes of forgery, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
But according to Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway, while defendant Elizabeth Shelley was on prison’s bench at the court, the Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephas walked into the court and ordered the release of defendant Shelley, and ordered the dismissal of the entire case.
Defendant Elizabeth Shelley is the West Africa Program Coordinator for Grow Liberia International.
“I’m seeking justice now, that’s how she (Elizabeth Shelley) was arrested by the sheriff from the Civil Law Court. When we got to the court, because she called her lawyer, I don’t know what happened when we got at the court and she was placed on prisoner’s bench, right away, the Solicitor General came with anger, with vexation ‘Who placed the lady (Elizabeth Shelley) on prisoner’s bench?’ That’s how he ordered the release of Elizabeth and dismissed the case,” S Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway lamented.
But in conversation with team of reporters, the Solicitor General, Cllr. Cephas said the writ of arrest issued on defendant Shelley did not meet his approval.
“If you read the averment in the writ, all writs, criminal writs are issued by the Republic of Liberia and nobody in the Republic can issue writ that does not meet the approval of the Solicitor General or the County Attorney in the county in which the action is taken.”
Cllr. Cephas continues: “The private prosecutrix claimed that the accused (Shelley), accused her (Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway) of using public funds to buy car but that during the audit, the audit exonerated her(Mulbah-Siaway), that is a civil action, that is defamation and not a criminal action.”
Responding to the crimes of forgery, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation mentioned in the writ of arrest, he said: “Go read the averment of the writ, there is a law, the law says the case caption is determine from the averment not from the case caption. So, I declared the case null and void.”
Cllr. Cephas further said that his decision to release defendant Shelley was also based on unconfirmed information that Mrs. Shelley is an expatriate, working for the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia.
“More so, the person she arrested is an expatriate, she has some level of diplomatic immunities, you can’t subject her to Liberia court action. They don’t just go about arresting people with some level of diplomatic immunities to try to embarrass the country, such foolishness will not be accepted,” Cllr. Cephas added.
However, giving the historicity of the case, Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway, General Manager of the Mulbah Rubber Estate and the President of the Liberia Rubber Planters’ Association of Liberia said she entered into a partnership with Grow Liberia to aid her build a Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS) plant.
“That project was officially budgeted on USD$150,000, then they promised me a grant amount of USD$50,000. That contract partnership was signed 2017 June and work kick-started in October of 2017.”
Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway adds: “They (Grow Liberia) needed to provide expertise, adversaries in terms of constructing the RSS Factory at my farm. I took to the bank, LBDI bank, my properties as collateral to claim USD$150,000 that was budgeted for the civil work of the factory.”
Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway further explained that every stage of the project was done twice.
“They assigned in a rubber specialist named David Nyuma and brought in a consultant from Sir Lanka. When we started the project, every stage was done twice, was duplicated.” She said.
Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway added that due to the expensive on the project, in 2018, everything came to a standstill.
“The Management of Grow Liberia came to me and said our donors are to inspect all of our projects, can you come in financially to be able to kick start the project when the donors come than we reimburse you.”
She adds:” Taking the initiative because of the interest I have in the factory, knowing the opportunity that lies ahead, I didn’t hesitate. I used my operational funds from on the farm. Only with the hope that once I start to shipped rubber, I can be able to have cash flow and be able to recover from the loses I incurred.
She, however, said since the completion of the project, Grow Liberia is yet to reimburse her, or pay all expenses.
She added that after the project, the Management of Grow Liberia encouraged her to do a profit sharing, something she refused to do.
“They got offended and started to accuse me of stealing USD$18,000,” she added.
Based on the allegation, she said Grow Liberia sanctioned an audit with Baker Tilly, an audit firm.
Baker Tilly audit, however, exonerated her of the allegation.
But the original audit report was sent to Grow Liberia, it was forged by Elizabeth Shelley, implicating he (Mrs. Mulbah-Siaway) of stealing the USD$18,000, something she said led to the criminal action against Elizabeth Shelley.
