MONROVIA-Criminal Court “C” Judge, Ousman Feika has dropped criminal indictment against past and present public officials in a five million United States dollars criminal case.
Nanborlor Sengbeh, Secretary of The Liberian Senate , George Wisner, Former Executive Director, National Investment Commission (NIC), Othelo Karr, Incentive Officer, NIC, Karel Socher, General Manager MHM Eko-Liberia, Ales Sranmek, Sherman Logan, Jan Holask, Barry Tequah of Eco-Bank Liberia Limited and others were indicted by the grand jury of Montserrado county in August of last year for crimes of ‘economic sabotage, theft of property, forgery, and criminal conspiracy’ based upon a complaint by the government of Liberia through Hans Armstrong.
They were accused of duping Hans Armstrong, a Czech investor of five million cash and equipment to operate NHM Eko Liberia Limited, a Czech Republic own Company which he (Sengbeh) is believed to have 30 percent shared while the Hans Armstrong (Czech Republic) has 70 percent shared.
Handling down verdict in a motion to dismiss the indictment against the defendants Monday, September 6, 2021, Judge Feika dismissed with prejudice to the state, criminal indictment drawn against the senate secretary and others in this proceedings.
The court dropped the indictment along with charges contained pending the full conclusion of similar indictment against the co-prosecutor Mr. Hans Armstrong in the 8th judicial circuit in Nimba County.
Armstrong was earlier charged in Nimba County court for the commission of the crimes of theft of property and forgery, the same crimes brought against the defendants.
The court says it finds it difficult to understand and troubling to comprehend, that the same state that indicted Mr. Hans Armstrong in Nimba County a court term before is the same state that proceeded to indict the defendants herein without first concluding the initial indictment against Mr. Armstrong.
“The veracity of the defendants’ counsels claims contained in their application for the dismissal of this case on grounds that Armstrong is indicted in the 8th judicial circuit court of Nimba has been verified by the submission of this court of the original copies of the indictment, and writ of arrest as well as other documents appertaining to the said indictment, the key issue then, determinative of the application made,” the court narrated.
The court also acknowledged that Hans Armstrong was indicted during the February 2020 term of the 8th judicial circuit court for Nimba County and a writ of arrest subsequently issued.
Mr. Armstrong was arrested March 6, 2020 and incarcerated at the Sanniquellie Central Prison, while the defendants in these proceedings were indicted during May 2020 term of the first judicial circuit criminal assizes “A” barely one court term after Armstrong had been indicted in the 8th judicial circuit court in Nimba County.
The court further holds that the two indictment in that is to say, the one against Hans Armstrong and the other against the defendants herein consist of the same parties, the same subject matter and the same things controversy.
Accordingly; the clerk of that court has been ordered to prepare a release in favor of all of the defendants in these proceedings thereby restoring their rights as guaranteed under the constitution of the republic of Liberia.
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