Monrovia – Defendant Estella Toteh, 49, found guilty of theft of property, has been sentenced to eight years at the Monrovia Central Prison by the Brewerville Magisterial Court, outside of Monrovia.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – [email protected]
The woman was sentenced Wednesday, March 28, after being tried and found guilty by the court presided over by Associate Magistrate Fallah Matthews.
Court record in the possession of this newspaper stated that the woman had earlier pleaded guilty following a writ of arrest issued by the court charging her with theft of property.
Defendant Toteh is been accused of receiving the amount of US$820 under a false pretense from a Police officer identified as Rhonda Carter after she had promised to include him on her list for visa to travel to the United States to visit her daughter.
Police officer Carter had said this in his formal complaint filed to the Brewerville Magistrate Court following the arrest of defendant Estella Toteh arraigned on order of the court.
“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing facts and circumstances adduced at the trial, defendant Estella Toteh has been found guilty of theft of property having earlier pleaded guilty and sentenced to eight years in jail and should serve this jail sentence in a common jail for the period indicated,” said Magistrate Mathews.
The court record furthers that defendant Toteh was unable to offer the Police officer the visa after receiving the money, the action that prompted him to issue a lawsuit against her.
During his judgment, Magistrate Matthews had ordered that the woman served the eight-year term in a common jail at the Monrovia Central Prison and could be released only upon executive clemency that may be issued by the President while serving the sentence.
Magistrate Matthews has also stated in his judgment that defendant Toteh has another option of release if she makes a restitution of the money and pays a fine of US$200, which should be deposited within government treasury and receipt furnish the court.
According to the judgment, the woman is again ordered to pay 25 percent of the amount right after the judgment had been delivered by Magistrate Matthews.
With Brewerville being the first court of instance by law, defendant Toteh has the right under the law to announce an appeal to the Circuit Court against the ruling of Magistrate Matthews.