MONROVIA – Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Blamo Dixon has sentenced two Lebanese businessmen to jail for refusal to file a proper criminal appearance to bond for alleged money laundering, criminal conspiracy, theft and misapplication of entrusted property in the tone of over US$1.3 million.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh, [email protected]
Defendants Tamer Farhat and Salah Farhat were remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison on Tuesday, August 27 after the insurance company that proffered the bail bond was disqualified for ‘incompetence’.
Salah and Tamer Farhat were indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County during the November 2018 Term of Court for the alleged commission of the crimes of money laundering, theft of property, misapplication of entrusted property and criminal conspiracy.
The defendants are being prosecuted by by Tayo Motors represented by its majority shareholders, Ezzat Eid, a Lebanese businessman.
Judge Dixon declined to approve the defendants’ bail bond on grounds that the Sky Insurance Company is ‘incredible and incompetent’ to tender a criminal appearance bond for party litigant or defendant(s).
In his ruling, Judge Dixon said the court has summoned the firm to surrender two defendants who are at large on its bail bond.
According to Judge Dixon, his refusal to accept from the insurance company is based on their failure to produce before the court two other defendants in a separate case whose bond were secured by the same company.
It continues: “Wherefore and in view of the forgoing, the court rejects the bond and declines to approve of same because of the reasons herein above stated which suggest that the Sky International Company is incredible and incompetent to tender a criminal appearance bond for any party litigant or defendants. The defendants are hereby ordered committed to the Monrovia Central Prison Compound pending the filing a valid bond from a credible insurance company.”
Following the ruling, the defendants’ lawyers took an exception to the judge’s ruling and announced an appeal to the justice in chamber.
This is the second time the court had denied the defendants’ surety bond for insufficiency.
During the last court term, the American Underwriters Group was disqualified by Judge Peter Gbeneweleh to serve as a surety due to defects in its criminal appearance bond.
The firm had filed a criminal appearance bond as a surety at the court (Criminal Court ‘C’) for the defendants, Salah Farhat and Tamer Farhat.
Judge Gbeneweleh also ruled the American Underwriters Group does not meet the legal requirements to pose a surety bond on behalf of the defendants.
He added that the tax clearance attached to the surety bond had expired and therefore could not guarantee the defendants in the criminal case.
“The only issue for the determination of this Motion for the Justification of Surety is whether or not the American Underwriters Group meets all of the requirements to pose a surety bond for the defendants/Movants,” the judge said in his ruling.
The ruling adds: “Firstly, this court notes that the tax clearance annexed to the surety bond, which was issued on November 2, 2018, expired January 31, 2019, and was ineffective or invalid for the surety bond filed in February 2019. This court says that there is no current tax clearance annexed to movants’ motion for the justification of surety, evidencing the full payment of all taxes that the surety due the Government of Liberia.”