Liberia: State Lawyers Request Court to Deny CBL Indicted Officials Bond

Monrovia –  Prosecutors in the case involving five officials of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has filed a seven-count exception to the bail bond secured by the defendants.

Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, bettie[email protected]

State lawyers are requesting the court to declare the bond invalid, inadequate and insufficient.

The five defendants including Charles Sirleaf, Milton Weeks, Dorbor Hagba, Richard H. Walker, I, and Joseph G. Dennis, are indicted with Criminal Conspiracy, Economic Sabotage, Misuse of Public Money, Property or Records and Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money.

The state lawyers said the court should set aside the criminal appearance bond aside, and rule the criminal Defendants incarcerated at a common jail at the Monrovia Central Prison.

Charles Sirleaf has been recommended by prosecutors to be placed under house arrest until he can post valid Criminal Appearance Bond. 

The state said that the law for securing a bond to release an accused persons charged with Economic Sabotage has been grossly ignored and neglected by the Court.

The law requires that “a person charged under this sub-chapter “F” shall be required to post a cash bond in the amount equivalent to the amount charged, but shall not be less than the amount of the fine of $10,000.00 as prescribed herein”. RELIANCE PENAL LAW CHAPTER 15 SUBCHAPTER F. ECONOMIC SABOTAGE SECTION 15.86.

In count four of the exception, prosecution furthers that the provision of the statute obtaining bail for the crime of Economic Sabotage, the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia has opined that an accused person should have the right to choose any one of the four modes provided for under section 63.1 of the Civil Procedure Law.

“(Cash, Unencumbered real property on which taxes have been paid and which is held in fee by the person furnishing the bond, Valuables to the amount of the bond which are easily converted into cash or Sureties who meet the requirements of section 63.2) that is, an accused persons should not be restricted in his choice of bond,” the state said.

“Plaintiff says that Co-Defendants Milton A. Weeks, Charles E. Sirleaf are charged with and indicted for Economic Sabotage which falls under the referenced subchapter of the Penal Law and the amounts charged in the indictment are US$835,367.72 and L$2,645,000,000.00.”

Accordingly, the bail bond to be filed to secure their release is US$835,367.72 and L$2,645,000,000.00 and not US$909,319.88 and US$240,000.00 as filed by Co-Defendants Milton A. Weeks, Charles E. Sirleaf, Dorbor M. Hagba, Richard H. Walker and Joseph Dennis respectively. 

“Hence, the inadequacy and insufficiency of the bonds for which same should be made adequate and sufficient or be ordered set aside by this Honorable Court, the state requested.

Plaintiff says that the amount of the bond therefore required for the defendants alternatively is US$1,670,735.44 (US$835,367.72X2) and L$5,290,000,000.00 (L$2,645,000,000.00×2) and not what is filed.”