Suspected Brazilian Drug Trafficker “Is a Friend” to Certain Individuals in the Liberian Government – Witness Tells Court

Monrovia – Henrique Gustavo, a Brazilian national at the center of the illegal shipment of 520kg of cocaine valued at U$100m, is said to be a friend to certain individuals in the Liberian government, according to defense first witness, Malam Conte.

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By Victoria G. Wesseh, Contributor

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As the ongoing cocaine case intensifies in Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice, Mr. Conte who is on trial along with three others, told the court that Gustavo’s only interest was to help his friend in the government.

Defendant Conte explained further that Gustavo’s help was to provide frozen food like chicken wings and tags for his friend in the government so that said food can be used for campaign purposes.

He said it was, for this reason, the Brazilian asked them (the defendants) to make a search of a potential entity that had the capacity to offer a bigger quantity of frozen food.

He spoke of how he had been invited to Liberia to invest in frozen food business only to be arrested when he went to do a transaction with THR, a company that deals in frozen food in Liberia. According to him, he had been tricked and set up. 

He denied having any knowledge of the alleged drug that he is being associated with and for which he has been in jail in Liberia since October 2022. 

Co-defendant Conté told the court and jury that he has a legitimate business registered in his home country — Guinea Bissau – and that he had come to Liberia on September 19, 2022 to do ‘gold business’ based on an invitation from his Brazilian friend, Mr. Gustavo.

According to the Co-defendant, he and Gustavo had been talking for many months before his trip to Liberia on investment opportunities and so he came to scout for such opportunity. 

He further narrated that few days after his arrival and while being lodged at a local hotel, “Gustavo asked that we should look for potential importers of frozen food here in Liberia.”

He divulged that while they were in search of entities that import frozen food, they met with some folks at THR. “They told us that they are the best importer of frozen food here in Liberia.”

He stated that Adulai Djibril Djalo (co-defendant), one of his friends who travelled along with him from Bissau, even asked THR folks, most of whom are Arabic speakers, the various prices of the different types of frozen food items that they import.

The defendant said his friend Adulai, informed them that THR has the capacity for the kind of business that he wanted to invest in in Liberia. “We only needed to now come back and pay the money for the place so that we could start bringing in our goods,” he stated.

He further stated that on October 1, 2022, at around 10 a.m., they met Gustavo and he (Conté) gave him a bag containing US$200,000 for payment at the entity.

The defendant said, Gustavo had told him that the folks were already at THR and awaiting him (Conté) so that the final part of the discussion can be consummated. 

Co-defendant Conté narrated that when he got there, there were more than six men whom he claims were Lebanese in the room and one of them, Issam Makki, introduced himself as the Director of Commerce for the company. According to him, he hadn’t met some of the folks that were present. He stated that he presented the money and waited for his receipt. 

“After they checked the money, and certified that it was all correct, their cashier took it to their safe. After some minutes, the cashier returned with a paper in his hand that was to be the receipt for the payment and presented it to the Sale Manager and he stamped and signed on it and gave it to me,” he said.

He averred that while still at THR; THR’s manager received a phone call and he stayed on the phone for more than 10 minutes.

According to him, few minutes later, other men identified themselves as people from the US Embassy opened the bag and after confirming the money, he was arrested, handcuffed and jailed.