Monrovia – The main suspect in a scandal at the John F. Kennedy hospital indicted by the State along with others on multiple offences, Patrick Konuwa is spending his first night at the Monrovia Central Prison after his arrest.
Escorted by Montserrado Representative District # 4 Henry Fahnbulleh, Konuwa is said to be the main suspect in the case involving over 20 others who formerly worked with the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, First International Bank Liberia Limited, and the Central Bank of Liberia among others.
Early, according to judicial sources, he was taken at Criminal Court C’ but was later set free on grounds that he had filed a bond on the charges, but when contacted, a prosecutorial source who asked not be named, said that the defendant was previously set free on habeas corpus and a bond was filed at the Magisterial court, but such bond was dismissed after previous charges against him were dismissed.
The presence of lawmakers when Government indict individuals is becoming a major concern to legal pundits as many were heard saying that the lawmakers should stop interfering into judicial matters when there are persons indicted by the state.
Also, Bomi Senator Sando Johnson said when people are accused of corruption, lawmakers should be included but it should be in the securing of the bond rather than signing as surety for the alleged criminals.
“Well, lawmakers have the right but is not legal, they should follow the court process instead of using their political powers, let them use a lawyer instead of their political will or power to serve as surety for the criminals”, he said.
It can be recalled the Liberian Government through the John F. Kennedy hospital has indicted several persons including staff of the Hospital, First International Bank and Central Bank of Liberia 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.
