Monrovia-Feb-5-TNR: The Monrovia Civil Law Court has adjudged senior ranking officials of the Liberia National Police (LNP), including Col. Patrick Sudue, former Police Inspector General, Victor Gboyah, and Sam Ballah for the illegal seizure of US$12, 000 from Christian Weah, owner of Chrisco Holdings.
The court mandated that the money in the possession of police boss, Sudue and his men be returned to Weah through the office of the Sheriff.
Sudue and Ballah had earlier accused Weah of being involved in illegal financial transactions when transfers of varying amounts were being made to his UBA account in Liberia by another person.
As a result, on December 12, 2023, Weah filed an Action of Recover Chattel against the defendants alleging that he is the owner of Chrisco Holdings, a corporate entity that exports Liberian foods on the world market, including palm oil, cassava leaf, dry meat and fish.
Weah alleged further that on November 5, 2023, at about 3:00 P.M., he had come from a football meeting, co-defendants Gboyah and Ballah went to him and said that the LNP had a charity event ongoing at the Liberia National Police headquarters and so they wanted him to go and make financial contributions to the charity.
He stated that based on the request, he followed the co-defendants on Ashmun Street, unknown to him that the building the co-defendants carried him was the office of the Businessman’s Division of the police and the office of the co-defendants.
According to him, while in the defendants’ office, they forcefully and illegally without due process, took from his pocket US$12, 000 and have since refused to return same to him.
The Liberian businessman said that based on the illegal act of the defendants, he informed co-defendant Pack Sudue, the boss of the defendants (Gboyah & Ballah) about the wrongful conduct of his subordinates and requested Sudue to instruct his boys to return the money but he (Sudue) refused.
The complainant expressed the refusal of former Police boss Sudue to take action against his boys making him believe that he (Sudue) supports the unlawful conduct of his subordinates.
The defendants in response to Weah filed their answer on December 26, 2023, more than ten days after the required date as stipulated by statute for responsive pleading.
The defendants alleged that the complaint in which is a special proceeding to recover does not apply to criminal proceedings, and as such the complaint should be denied and dismissed.
The defendants said they as agents of the Liberia National Police, primarily Major Crimes Division, are authorized to investigate crimes and keep the agency used to commit crimes, up to and including the pipette rate of criminal writ of the indictment.
Defendants alleged further that when Weah was arrested on November 3, 2023, and taken to their office, he (Weah) attempted to bribe them with US$100,000 but brought forth an initial amount of US$11,600 which they seized as proceeds of crime and ordered him arrested.
Cllr. Ousman F. Feika Assigned Circuit Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court in Montserrado County in his ruling said by law, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is the government’s entity charged with the responsibility to monitor, investigate, and report illegal financial transactions, especially in-flow and out-flow of financial transaction through the banking system.
Judge Feika stated that according to the defendants, Weah was suspected of being involved in illegal financial transactions when transfers of varying amounts were being made to his UBA account in Liberia by another person.
The Judge said that with the role assigned to the FIU by the law establishing it, all suspicious financial transactions are supposed to be monitored, flagged, investigated, and reported by the FIU.
He asserted that there is no indication in the records of the court that the plaintiff is the subject of an FIU investigation because of an illegal l financial transaction related to his bank account lodged with a local bank in Liberia, neither is there any complaint shown in the records that the plaintiff is engaged in illegal financial transactions.
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