Liberia: Supreme Court Orders Incarceration of Former FDA MD, Moses Wogbeh, Others In US$6 Million Forestry Fraud Case

Orders Payment Of US$10 Thousand Each

MONROVIA-The Supreme Court of Liberia has affirmed the convictions of five former government officials in a long-running forestry fraud case involving an alleged US$6 million loss to the Government of Liberia through the issuance of illegal forestry permits.

By Willie N. Tokpah

The defendants are former Forestry Development Authority Managing Director Moses Wogbeh; former Technical Manager John Kanto; former Commercial Forestry Manager Janger Kamara; former Grand Bassa County Surveyor David Blayee; and former Director of Cartography at the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, Maxwell Gwee.

Liberia’s Judiciary records confirm that the case has been before the Supreme Court on appeal since the October 2016 term.

The defendants were convicted on Thursday, August 27, on charges including economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, forgery or counterfeiting, obtaining and issuing deceptive writings, and obstruction of government functions by public servants.

ONE-YEAR SENTENCE, US$10,000 FINE EACH

The Supreme Court has upheld the lower court’s judgment sentencing each defendant to one year imprisonment and a US$10,000 fine, according to the ruling.

The High Court has further directed the lower court to immediately enforce its mandate, bringing the years-long appeal process to a decisive end.
The case grew out of Liberia’s controversial Private Use Permit scandal, which triggered investigations into the issuance of forestry permits during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

A government-backed investigation into the PUP system raised serious concerns over the issuance of permits and alleged manipulation of government records.