Monrovia-The theft case filed before Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice by Korean businessman, Hungchi Choi, against Bishop Manaseh Konto is yet to commence due to insufficiency of the bond filed by the defendant.
Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
Bishop Konto who was taken to the court on two counts of theft of property in May 2016 was arrested but later released to his lawyer to return at a later date.
A week later, Bishop Konto and another defendant, Steve Kettor, were arrested by the court and jailed at the Monrovia Central Prison after the court realized that they did not file a criminal appearance bond.
Following three days behind bars, the Bishop was released after he filed an insurance bond of US$468,000 but the bond was challenged by the prosecution lawyer, Atty. Bobby Livingstone, though the lawyer for Bishop Konto maintained that the bond was sufficient.
Following the hearing of the exception on the Bishop’s bond, Judge Emery Paye declared the bond insufficient and gave him a 72-hr ultimatum last week to make the bond sufficient.
Though the 72- hours ultimatum issued by the Judge for Bishop Konto to make sufficient his bond expired last Friday June 24, the court is yet to say whether the Bishop has made his bond sufficient.
The complainant, Hungchi Choi, whose case was scheduled on Thursday, was seen in the courtroom awaiting to hear whether Bishop Konto’s bond was sufficient, became disappointed when the court could not hear the case.
“My case was scheduled for 2pm today with the hope that the Judge will come out and say whether the defendant has made his bond sufficient but there was no hearing though I heard that he has filed another insurance bond that should be announced in open court by the Judge,” said Choi who appeared disappointed, expressing dismay over the slow pace his case has taken.
According to court records, the indictment against Bishop Konto says that Steve Kettor, while serving as General Manager of the Korea Trading Company, owned by Hungchi Choi, entered into a car rental contract with the World Food Program along with co-defendant Bishop Konto and one Smith and allegedly failed to account for US$150,000 each.