Monrovia – Two South Korean nationals are facing court trial for “illegally harvesting” five 25ft containers of logs from the Gbarpolu forest and attempted shipping via the Freeport of Monrovia.
Beomjin Lee and Jun Jeon Sick appeared in court on Thursday, January 5, 2023 to answer to the crimes of economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, theft of property and criminal facilitation.
By Victoria G Wesseh, FPA Contributing Writer
The defendants were arrested after Hon. Harrison Kanweah, Board Chair of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) reported that in September of last year, the joint security at the Klay and Sawmill Check Points in Bomi County confiscated five 25ft containers of round logs, which were taken from Gbarpolu County and headed for the Freeport of Monrovia.
According to the court document, in July 2022, a Liberian and another suspect, Isaac Richmond Anderson, reportedly met with the two South Korean nationals to arrange purchase and shipment of logs from Liberia.
Suspect Anderson later introduced the Koreans to the CEO of Eco Group of Companies named N. Edwin Wesley and a MOU was signed between Eco Group of Companies and the Koreans for the cutting, transportation and shipment of the logs.
Due to the disagreement between the CEO of Eco Group of Companies and the Koreans, the MOU was abandoned disagreement over US$12,000 requested by Eco Group of Companies.
Dauoda Sesay, another suspect, and a Liberian was entrusted by the Koreans to arrange the cutting, transportation, and shipment of the logs from Gbarpolu County to the Freeport of Monrovia.
The court record stated that suspects negotiated with Fatu Samukai, owner of the farmland in Gbarpolu County, and reportedly participated in the harvesting and marking of the logs, while suspect Sesay reportedly arranged and paid for the trucks for the transportation of the logs to the Freeport of Monrovia.