Monrovia – The trial has commenced and lawyers representing the Republic of Liberia are expected to produce the seven vehicles claimed to have been stolen from the United States, but the vehicles, FrontPageAfrica has learned, are in the custody of the United States Embassy in Monrovia, but the Embassy is skeptical about releasing the vehicles to the Government of Liberia due to lack of confidence in the justice and security sectors.
Report by Lennart Dodoo – [email protected]
The trial involves defendants Armstrong Tony Campbell, Sheak K. Brown and Kandakai Sherman of the Monrovia and Sheriff Lasudo, to be identified, believed to be residing in the Philadelphia, USA.
They’ve been indicted for theft of property, economic sabotage, smuggling, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
Lawyers representing the defendants in the case Thursday, June 22, 2017, challenged government lawyers to bring the alleged stolen vehicles under the jurisdiction of the court as per the law.
“Counsel for the defendants on trial says that under the criminal procedure law the fruit of the crime in the case the seven vehicles should be brought under the jurisdiction of the court trying the case. “
“Counsel says that the Prosecution has in the time past promised and assured this court that it will produce the seven vehicles no later than Wednesday, the 21st day of June 2017, Counsel says that today, is June 22, 2017, and the Prosecution has failed, refused and neglected to produce the seven vehicles as promised.
“In view of the above, Counsel for Defendants on the trial prays Your Honor and this Honorable Court to compel the Prosecution to comply with the details of the law by producing the seven vehicles subject of this trial without day and date,” Cllr. Arthur Johnson.
The Prosecution failed to provide reasons for the delay in producing the vehicles but prayed to the court to deny the Defense request on grounds that it was made in bad faith.
The Prosecution, among other things, contended that it is none of the business of the Defense to cry for the court. “If the court does not have jurisdiction of the fruits of crime, it is the court that will order the fruit of the crime to be brought and not the defense.”
Jude Yussif D. Kaba of Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice reserved ruling on the Defense request until a subsequent sitting.
The seven vehicles are believed to be part of a grand syndicate of 39 stolen vehicles shipped to Liberia from the United States.
FrontPageAfrica was hinted that the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, in October last year notified local investigative agencies including the Liberia National Police (LNP), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Revenue Authority(LRA) that several vehicles had been stolen from the U.S..
In one communication, to the LRA, the US Embassy in Monrovia sought assistance in transferring the stolen vehicles back to the U.S.
The communication stated that the US has had a history of vehicles being stolen and transported to Liberia and other West African countries illegally.
The stolen vehicles, said to be valued close to US$300,000, came through the Liberia port of entry and has become the focus of both the US and Liberian governments.
The Office of the Solicitor General of the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), National Security Agency (NSA), Liberia National Police (LNP), Ministry of Transport and the US Embassy near Monrovia are all part of the investigation.
Nevertheless, multiple sources confirmed to FPA that there appears to be a major cover up preventing major arrests relating to the scheme.
“These people have links with some powerful people, including the Police, the courts and top people in government, this is why it is difficult to make major arrests or bring those involved to book,” a source close to the investigation said Tuesday.
In order to be involved in overseas exportation, investigators say, theft rings require that a system exists in the destination country in order to receive and sell the stolen vehicles as well as return the profit to the US ring.
“As a result, overseas exportation tends to be dominated by ethnically-based groups that already have strong connections in their country of origin and are therefore able to ensure that the requisite structure is in place.
It is also possible, though less common, for groups domestic to the US to develop international connections and become involved in the international trafficking of stolen vehicles.”
Moreover, the report adds that established connection between the vehicle theft ring in the US and Liberia has to do largely in part to Liberians holding US naturalization and/or residency, who have a stronger tie to their native country.”
The Indictment
Armstrong Tony Campbell, Sheak K. Brown and Kandakai both of Monrovia and Sheriff Lasudo believed to reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States of America and Sheak K. Brown and others to be identified flagrantly committed theft of property in violation of Chapter 15, Sub-chapter “D”, Section 15.51 (a)(b)(c) of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
According to the indictment, between July 2016 up to and including October 2016, Co-Defendant Campbell, Lasudo along with others yet to be identified, whilst in the United States of America conspired with Co-defendant Brown to knowingly steal, take, convert, ship, receive and retain in Liberia seven stolen vehicles belonging to persons in the USA without the authorization of the owners.
The indictment revealed that the vehicles were shipped to Liberia in the name of a non-existent and fictitious company named “Shea K. Brown Building Material Incorporated” of which Co-defendant presented himself to be the purported general manager.
As part of the grand scheme and in order to conceal the identity of the stolen vehicles, according to the indictment, Co-defendants Campbell provided false and incorrect information about the vehicles to the shipping lines which was placed on the Packing List, Invoice, Bill of Landing and the Request for Inspection Form which were submitted to BIVAC and customs officials in Liberia.
According to the indictment, Co-defendants Campbell and Brown also caused their broker – New Millennium Cargo Handling, to falsely declare in the LRA Asycuda System misleading information about the year, model, the VIN numbers and the mileage of the vehicle for the sole purpose of concealing the true identity/information of the stolen vehicles.
Co-defendant Brown caused their broker to enter into the Asycuda System on September 30, 2016 and declare misleading specifications of the vehicles’ VIN numbers, year and mileage which resulted in the understatement of the true value of the vehicles, with the intent of both concealing the identity of the vehicles and defrauding the Government of Liberia of the required taxes, even though the vehicles’ models were recent and were in the category of luxury vehicles, i.e 2016, 2015, etc.
The VIN of the vehicles were changed criminally changed in the system by Co-defendant Sherman.
All the seven vehicles were confirmed stolen by the U.S. Law Enforcement and Police records and title documents of the vehicles were provided to the Liberian National Police during the course of the investigation.
During the Police investigation, Campbell alleged that he had purchased the seven vehicles from one Sheriff Lasudo in the United States but failed to provide any transaction documents. She also did not provide any evidence that Lasudo held title to the vehicles, neither did he provide any evidence of transfer of title to himself.
According to the indictment, in other to conceal their identities, Co-defendants Campbell and Lusado in their course of the transactions provided misleading information on the Invoice, Bill of Landing and BIVAC Request for Inspection forms when they designated Sea Shipping Line, 114 Maple Avenue, Red Bank, NC, 0770, USA as the seller/consignor and shipper of the vehicles to the non-existent Sheak K. Brown Inc.
“Nowhere on any of the documents whether invoice, packing list, titles, Bill of Landing, etc. are the names of Amstrong Tony Campbell or Sheriff Lasudo reflected, quite evident of the degree of organization in the commission and furtherance of their crimes,” the indictment noted.
Campbell also admitted to attempting to un-authorizing transfer title and/or sell two of the stolen vehicles to Mr. C. Nelson Oniyama for US$43,500.
However, Oniyama told Police investigators that he attempted buying of the vehicles based on title documents submitted to him by Campbell.
Vehicles, Value and True Owners
Make: Jeep – Cherokee
Model: 2016
VIN#: 1C4RJFBG9GC449719
Value: US$35,000.00
Owner: AVIS Rent A Car System
Make: Mercedes Benz
Model: 2016
VIN#: 4JGDF6EE1GA669854
Value: US$60,000.00
Owner: PV-Holding Corp
Make: Dodge Ram
Model: 2016
VIN#1C6RR7GG2GS304994
Value: US$40,000.00
Owner: PV-Holding Corp
Make: Audi Q5
Model: 2016
VIN#: WA1L2AFPA4GA037147
Value: US$50,000.00
Owner: Audi Devon
Make: Wrangler
Model: 2016
VIN#1C4HJWDG0GL213274
Value: US$30,438.00
Owner: Evans Holding
Make: Mercedes C300
Model: 2015
Value: US$50,000.00
VIN#55SWF4KB3FU038569
Owner: Christopher Cottone
Make: Toyota Rav4 Jeep
Model: 2014
VIN#: 2T3DFREV3W167285
Value: US$21,000.00
Owner: Government Employees Insurance Company