Monrovia – One of the indictees in the Japanese donated oil scandal in which the government is reported to have lost over US$5m, T. Nelson Williams, is requesting Criminal Court “C” Judge Emery Paye, for a separate trial from those indicted.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
Williams is former Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC).
The Government of Japan, during the period of 2011-2012, donated a consignment of oil valued of up to US$13M to the Government of Liberia as part of its bilateral assistance to Liberia.
But the state said the oil products were reported to have been mismanaged by the LPRC, leaving government at a loss of over US$5m during the tenure of Williams.
Williams, former Deputy LPRC Managing Director for Operations, Aaron Wheagar, former Commerce Minister Miatta Beysolow, Ministry of Commerce Director for Price Analysis, Steve Flahn Paye and the Managing Director of the Aminata Gas Company Siaka Toure were indicted and charged with multiple criminal offences including economic sabotage.
In May 2016 the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice under the gavel of Judge Emery Paye ruled and dismissed the indictment against one of the defendants, the former Minister of Commerce Miatta Beysolow based on request by her lawyer Atty. Jonathan Massaquoi that the indictment failed to state the role she played in the alleged mismanagement of proceeds from the sales of the Japanese donated oil.
Atty. Massaquoi further argued that at the time of the sale of the Japanese petroleum products, the former Minister was out of the country on government’s duty and had no knowledge of the charges in the indictment, though the indictment had accused the former Commerce Minister of her failure to play a supervisory role in the sale of the petroleum products.
In the indictment, the former LPRC boss Williams has been accused for the violation of the PPCC laws when he allowed the Aminata Gas Company to take charge of the distribution and sale of the donated oil without going through the bidding process.
But Williams’ lawyer, Cllr. Musa Dean told the court Monday while arguing the motion for severance that his client only headed the LPRC but had nothing to do with the distribution and sale of the Japanese oil. He added that the government opened a bank account, while the distributors were also set by the government.
“Your honor the movant most respectfully request the court to grant unto movant severance because granting severance to a defendant is a right under the law,” said Cllr. Frank Musa Dean.
State lawyers, Cllr. Taweh Johnson and Atty. Margaret Nigba differed with Cllr. Dean and counter argued and asked the court not to do same as the crime was jointly committed.
“During the time of the transaction of the donated oil, the movant was the agent of the consignee and was also the conduit between the consignee and the market therefore he should not be given any separate trial,” said Cllr .Johnson.
The court reserved ruling and asked the parties to the case to present their legal memorandum and should be submitted on or before Friday September 16, 2016.
“This court will entertain a legal memorandum from the parties and same should be submitted on or before Friday, September 16, 2016, thereafter, an assignment for the rendition of our ruling will be made at the instance of any of the parties but to the convenience of this honorable court it is hereby so ordered,” said Judge Emery Paye.