EX-CBL OFFICIALS GET FREEDOM By: R. Joyclyn Wea:j.wea@newrepublicliberia.com

MONROVIA, At long last, the Criminal   Court “C” Judge Yamie  Quiqui Gbeisay has handed a non guilty verdict for the ex-Central Bank officials. The judgment was handed town late Tuesday.

Ex CBL Governor, Milton Weeks, David M. Fahart, Malissa A. Emeh , Elsie Dossen Badio , and Kollie Tamba(All four board members) were indicted alone with other official for nollie  prose quoi  by the states for the Crimes of Theft of Property and Economic Sabotage / Fraud for the Internal Revenue of Liberia, Misused of Public Money , Property and Record, and Theft and all Illegal Disbursement of Public Money, Criminal Conspiracy , and Criminal Facilitation for printing excess Liberian dollars banknotes.

Handing down his  verdict Tuesday, August 25, 2020, Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay said Government acquiesced in the wrongful printing of the enhanced notes and substantially benefited.

“We reiterate that the CBL authority including the Executive governor and the board of governor could be reprimanded civilly under the code of conduct for abusing their offices in the form of malfeasance or nonfeasance, since the prosecution sufficiently established and proved their guilt,” Judge Gbeisay said.

Section 15.1 of the code of conduct says thus “sanctions for any breach of this code of conduct shall be those prescribed by the standing orders of the civil service or any other laws governing the public service, Notwithstanding, depending on the gravity of the offence or misconduct, one or more of the following penalties may applies: a) dismissal; b) removal from office in public interest c)reprimand d)fine or making good of the loss or damage of public property/assets e) demotion/reduction in rank; ( f)seizure and forfeiture to the state of any property acquired from abuse of office; and g) interdiction/suspension from duty with half pay.”

In his ruling, Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay said that the prosecution did not prove beyond all reasonable doubts the issue of the defendants printed excess Liberian dollar banknotes without the authorization of the Legislature.

Accordingly; from the analysis of evidence adduced at trial before the court, the Judge mention that it was Ten billion that was printed under the 2017 contract with an excess of 374,750,000,000 making a grand total of LRD10,345750,000,000.00; and that there were no printing of an extra LRD2.645 Billion  and that no such LRD2,645 Billion existed to be missing or unaccounted as claimed by GOL.

The defendants having been found Not Guilty of the printing of LRD2.645 Billion  banknotes and the court having established that the unauthorized printing by CBL is not a specific crime under the Liberian criminal law; Judge Gbeisay adjudged the defendants not guilty of the crimes:  Economic Sabotage , Fraud on the Internal Revenue Misuse of PUBLIC Money, Prop or Records, Theft or illegal Disbursement of Public Money, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Facilitation Theft of Property.

The defendants were set at liberty and the Criminal appearance Bond ordered returned as well as the Writ of Ne Exist Republic ordered revoked. TNR