MONROVIA-The ground of the Temple of Justice took the center stage Tuesday, March 23, 2021 when some citizens of Lofa County under the banner Friends of Samukai ( FOS) stromed the ground and presented US$10.000 (ten thousand united states dollars) check to the court as initial payment of the US$1.5 Million their senator-elect was hooked for by the court.
Mr. Samukai, Liberia’s longest serving Defense Minister along with Joseph F. Johnson, former Deputy Minister for Administration and J. Nyumah Dorkor, former Comptroller were all found guilty in March 2020, but took an appeal to the Supreme Court, a ruling which was upheld by the nation highest court.
Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Yamie Gbeisay sentenced Samukai and his deputy to two years imprisonment but with a condition to restitute US$1.3 million over a one-year period or risk jail sentence.
The Lofa citizens presented the sum of ten thousands United States dollars to the clerk of Criminal Court “C” as part of their senator-elect 50 percent share of the US$1.4 Million Armed Forces of Liberia personnel fund stolen by he and his three associates.
Speaking to Judicial Reporters after the presentation of the money on Tuesday, the former Lofa County superintendent Galapa W. Kortimai said they as citizens of the county have decided to aid the former Defense Minister and Senator-elect of the County restitute his 50 percent share of the money hooked for by the court.
According to the report, the former Defense Minister is to pay 50 percent of the amount hooked for by the court totaling US$ 382,00 expected to be restituted by him (Samukai).
Kortimai mentioned that as citizens of Lofa County, they will stand by Senator-elect Samukai to ensure he is being certificated by the National Elections Commission and assume office.
The former superintendent indicated that the check that was presented to the court was collected from farmers, market Women, Motorcyclists and students from the Lofa county and others Country in solidity with Samukai.
He asserted that Lofa is bleeding because their county is not represented at the National Legislature due to the delay of the NEC to certificate Samukai who was massively voted by the citizens to run the affairs of the county for the next nine years.
“Some part of last month, we had a rally in which we collected this money that was presented to the court today,” he added.
He disclosed that similar amount will be paid to the court every week since according to him, they could not get those contributions that were made by partisans of the former ruling establishment that are based in the USA due to the banking issue in the country.
Receiving the check from the friends of Samukai, one of Counsel for Brownie Samukai’s lawyers Rufus Wiefueh Sayeeh added that his client is willing to pay the money as evidenced by the move of the citizens of the county.
Cllr. Sayeeh noted that he’s going to present the check to the Court for receipt to that effect. Cllr. Sayeeh said that his client is law abiding.
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