Monrovia – In what is seen a big scandal, the Liberian Government through the John F. Kennedy hospital has indicted several persons including staff of the Hospital, First International Bank and central Bank on Theft of property, economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy and money laundering, among other charges.
Over 5 persons have been arrested and are currently at the Monrovia Central Prison based on the indictment drawn against the defendants while the remaining are still at large.
The indictees include: Patrick Konuwa, former Accounts Officer of John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Boakai J. Varney, former Senior Budget and Accounts Officer at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Arnous Rabeah, former IT and Database Supervisor of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, James Ricks, former Clearing Officer of the First International Bank (FIB), Lethia W. Waleh, former Customer Service Officer of the First International Bank (FIB) and Prince Jallah, former Hardware Technician of the IT Department of the Central Bank of Liberia.
Others are, Grace Dolly Jallah, former Executive Secretary to the CEO of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Fahn F. Borbor, aliases John Fred Kennedy and Henry K. Sambolah, former Production Manager of the Women Voices Newspaper, Thomas G. Tellewoyan, alias John Franklin Kennedy, GIS Assistant, World Resource Institute, Jerry D. Morlu, Caretaker, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Ballah Holmes, Thomas Oliver Mezzeh, Benjamin Wlay Dargbe, Jr. and the purported John Freeman Kennedy to be identified, and others to be identified.
According to the indictment which is in possession of FrontPageAfrica the defendants conspire to, facilitate, and did do, and commit the crime of Economic Sabotage in flagrant violation of Chapter 15, Sub-chapter “F”, Sections 15.80(a)(b)(c), 15.81 (a)(b)(c ), and 15.82(a)(b)(c),, of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
Stated the indictment “That the Defendants herein above named by virtue of their individual and collective roles as narrated, did intentionally, knowingly, willfully and purposely steal, take, convert into their own use the total amount of US$126,300.06(United States Dollars One Hundred Twenty Six Thousand Three Hundred Six Cents) and LD$16,550.416.40(Liberian Dollar Sixteen Million Five Hundred Fifty Thousand Four Hundred Sixteen 40/100) thereby depriving the John F. Kennedy Medical Center of its use”.
In count one of the indictment the grand jurors furthered that between the period March 2015, up to and including January 2016, at the JFK, Co-Defendant, Konuwa, then Accounts Officer of the Medical Center, and by virtue of his employment within the said entity, did knowingly and intentionally collude and conspire with Ricks, former Clearing Officer of the First International Bank (FIB) Waleh, former Customer Service Officer, of the First International Bank (FIB) Jallah, of the Central Bank of Liberia, and Freeman others yet to be identified, to defraud and did defraud , the hospital, the Government of the Republic of Liberia, and the people of Liberia, of the amount of US$5,000.00(United States Dollars Five Thousand Dollars) and LD$15,774,742 (Liberia Dollars Fifteen Million Seven Hundred Seventy Four Thousand Seven Hundred Forty Two) by designing a criminal scheme.
The indictment also states that Co-Defendant Konuwa, facilitated by Co-defendants Welah and Ricks, caused two Personal Checking Accounts to be opened at the First International Bank (Liberia) Limited in the name of the yet to be identified Co-Defendant who purported to be “John Freeman Kennedy”, by generating and using a fictitious identification card to open the said accounts, for the purpose of depositing checks issued in the name of John F. Kennedy Medical Center, which were received by Co-Defendant Konuwa on behalf of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center.
He (Konuwa) diverted and deposited into the accounts of the purported John Freeman Kennedy at the First International Bank Liberia Limited, and thereafter withdrawing the proceeds from the said accounts through the issuance of several checks in the names of the fictitious person John F. Kennedy yet to be identified, Co-Defendant Holmes, Morlu and several others to be identified.
Furthermore, the indictment states that on August 28, 2015, Co-Defendant Lethia W. Waleh, knowingly and purposefully, opened the first Liberian Dollars Checking Account #00.101-018306-01in the name of a yet to be identified Co-Defendant who purported to be “John Freeman Kennedy” without any deposit been made to the account, using a faked and unsigned identification card, even though she knew and had every reason to know, that accounts could only be opened with valid photo identifications, such as passports, driver’s license, other Government issued identification cards, or valid working identification cards, for the sole purpose of colluding to defraud, and creating or making an opportunity for Co-Defendant Patrick Konuwa to defraud the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, and the Government and the people of Liberia.
“She also knowingly and purposefully, opened the second checking account # 00-112-018306-02, in United States Dollars, in the name of John F. Kennedy without any deposit been made to the account, using the same faked and unsigned identification card for the sole purpose of colluding to defraud, and creating or making an opportunity for Co-Defendant Konuwa and the purported John Freeman. Kennedy to defraud the J.F.K Medical Center, and the Government and the people of Republic of Liberia”, continued the indictment.
Count 4 of the indictment stated that on October 1, 2015, and November 25, 2015, respectively, Co-Defendant, Konuwa, still serving as Accounts Officer at the Hospital did knowingly and intentionally sign for and receive from the Ministry of Finance, Government of Liberia Central Bank Cheque #0000579 in the amount of LD$6,989,266.80 and Cheque # 00001290 in the amount of LD$8,066,889.60, respectively, issued in the name of John F. Kennedy Medical Center and with the help, assistance, and facilitation of Co-Defendant Ricks, Konuwa caused the two cheques to be deposited in Checking Account #00.101-018306-01 in the name of the purported John F. Kennedy held at First International Bank (Liberia) Limited on October 2, 2015 and November 26, 2015 respectively.
The indictment added that Konuwa upon receipt of Checks # 0000579 in the amount of LD$6,989,266.80 and Check # 00001290 in the amount of LD$8,066,889.60 respectively, from the Ministry of Finance, initially took the checks to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center and his boss Mrs. Serina Gbaba had the checks endorsed at the back “For Deposit only into JFKMC LD Subsidy a/c # 01-206-300065-02@ CBL” and gave them back to Co-Defendant Konuwa to have same deposited in the John F. Kennedy Medical Center’s Account at the Central Bank of Liberia. Co-Defendant Konuwa submitted two Central Bank deposit slips to Alice Seyon, Central Cashier, JFKMC, which was later discovered to be fictitious, suggesting/indicating that the two checks had been deposited in the John F. Kennedy Medical Center’s account at the Central Bank of Liberia, and the said amounts were posted in the Quick Books accounts systems at JFKMC as though the amounts were deposited in the JFK Medical Center’s account,
Accordingly, even though Co-Defendant Konuwa knew that the checks were never deposited in the JFKMC account at CBL, but rather in the “John F. Kennedy” Liberian Dollars personal Checking Account #00.101-018306-01 at the First International Bank Liberia Limited which he and the purported John F. Kennedy to be identified, had caused to be opened for the purpose of concealing and retaining monies which belong to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center with intent to convert it to their personal use and benefit and/or the use and benefit of others knowing that the money was stolen money.
The indictment averred that on October 16, 2015, and December 22, 2015, respectively, Co-Defendant, Konuwa, did knowingly and intentionally receive two cheques on behalf of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC), one from Secure Risk, LBDI Check #00054390 in the amount of LD$751,760.00 issued to John F. Kennedy Medical Center and the other from Medicare Insurance, Check # 218141 in the amount of US$5,000.00 issued to John F. Kennedy Medical Center, and never informed JFKMC of his receipt of the cheques and never delivered the said cheques to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center.
Also, the indictment noted that instead, Co-Defendant Konuwa retained the checks, caused the checks to be deposited in the “John F. Kennedy” Liberian Dollars personal Checking Account #00.101-018306-01 and United Dollars Personal Checking Account # 00-112-018306-02 respectively, at the First International Bank Liberia Limited, which he and the purported John F. Kennedy to be identified, had caused to be opened with the assistance of Co-Defendants Waleh and Ricks, for the purpose of depositing, concealing and retaining monies which belong to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center with intent to convert it to their personal use and benefit.
The Defendants individually and collectively aided one another as narrated in Counts One (1) through Twenty Eight (28) of this indictment herein incorporated without restatement thereby leading to the loss of money owned by the JFKMC.
That from the money realized from their individual roles played in this criminal syndicate as narrated herein in Counts One through Twenty Eight (28) of this indictment incorporated herein without restatement, the defendants engaged themselves into investing in real estates, establishment of businesses, purchase of land, vehicles, gold chains and rings huge deposits into local commercial banks, lavished spending amongst others.
The indictment stated that the defendants used their own names or the names of relatives or persons closed to them on deeds or title instruments of properties purchased by them to avoid it being easily discovered or detected to be owned by them.
The Defendants by virtue of their individual and collective roles as narrated did intentionally, knowingly, willfully and purposely steal, take, convert into their own use the total amount of US$126,300.06 and LD$16,550.416.40 thereby depriving the John F. Kennedy Medical Center of its use.