NTGL-ERA VERDICT IN: Bryant and Peers Beat Corruption Rap; Court Rules Not Guilty

Number of posts : 437 Points : 197 Registration date : 2008-04-25

]NTGL-ERA VERDICT IN: Bryant and Peers Beat Corruption Rap; Court Rules Not Guilty
04/0/09 - FPA STAFF REPORT

Monrovia -

FEELING GOOD ON VERDICT: Charles Gyude Bryant, the erstwhile Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia told FrontPageAfrica shortly after the verdict in the corruption case against him and other officials: "I feel good, I feel good but I feel sorry for our country that’s all."

T

he Former National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) Chairman, Charles Gyude Bryant and four others officials of the NTGL accused of economic sabotage and theft property were declared not guilty moments ago, of the charges leveled against them by the state, after the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. The late Thursday night verdict followed a long period of trial.

Bryant declared to FrontPageAfrica shortly after the court verdict that he felt sorry for his homeland. "I feel good, I feel good but I feel sorry for our country that’s all."

After 135 days of legal argument into the much publicized US$ 927,000 economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, bribery and theft of property case the Grand Jury handed down the not guilty verdict.

The 12-member empanelled jury brought the unanimous verdict of not guilty against the five defendants amidst jubilations from supporters, family members and the acquitters.

Prosecutor Warns Jurors Wednesday

Thursdays’ final verdict follows final arguments Wednesday; one of the state prosecutors, Cllr. M. Wilkins Wright told the jurors that the primary objective of the government in the case is to establish the truth.

Cllr. Wright, who was hired by the government to prosecute the case, further informed the jurors that the verdict they render in the case would live after them, adding, history would judge everyone of them.

The prosecuting lawyer in final argument told the jurors that the defendants themselves admitted to the charges levied against them.

“We are saying that the state has proven its case beyond all reasonable doubts. You cannot change anything, because Chairman Bryant himself said, he did it,” Cllr. Wright warned the jurors in his final legal points ahead of the verdict.

Admission in law, Cllr. Wright informed the court, means guilt.

Cllr. Wright further said if the accused were brought down guilty, it would a strong message to outside world that Liberia means business.

“Elephant baby died long time, it never cried, that baboon will today,” Cllr. Wright added.

Defense argues against conviction

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Spectators await the verdict in the case against former NTGL officials late Thursday night.

For the defense side of the arguments, Cllr. Marcus R. Jones defended that his clients spent the money for national security, lobby, and public relations.

Cllr. Jones noted that the accused could only be convicted based on the doctrine of proof, which, according to him, is the standard of Government to convict an accused person.

The defense lawyer told the jurors that the defendants did not admit to the charges in the indictment, as claimed by Cllr. Wright, but admitted to the 21 transactions carried out by them at the LPRC as was approved by the Board of Directors.

He contended that Cllr. Wright’s interpretations of the law to the jurors, was misleading and false.

According to Cllr. Jones, the only way Government could win the case is if the State can prove every count charge in the indictment one by one.

Cllr. Jones alluded to earlier testimony by one of the accused, Edwin Melvin Snowe, alleging that the case was politically motivated and intended to witch-hunt the former NTGL officials and the chairman.

He further disclosed that of the amount, some US$ 300,000 was given one LURD General only identified as Sherrif, to disarm ex- combatants at the Guthrie Rubber Plantation in Bomi County to maintain the peace that everyone is enjoying today.

Late-Night Verdict

The final verdict in the controversial trial of the four men was announced late night after final arguments in the case took several hours.

Bryant and four former NTGL officials were charged with economic sabotage and theft of property for their alleged role in expending close to US$1 million from the coffers of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC).

Edwin Snowe, Managing Director of the LPRC and the other officials of the company stated in court that they acted upon the orders of Mr. Charles Gyude Bryant to expend the money.

Bryant during court appearance admitted that the LPRC officials acted upon his instruction to disburse the money to various individuals for the sake of maintaining state security.

“I authorized them under my authority as Head of State. What puzzles me is that I have listened though this trial and nobody has brought any evidence to show monies were stuffed in my pocket and that we built big, big houses as the Gentleman who calls himself Solicitor General of the Republic demonstrated to you young people when he was standing demonstrating to the jury and before this court when we began the trial. This is shame for our country and we must pray for our country”, Mr. Bryant told the court during appearance.

Bryant maintained that the trail was politically motivated to prevent him and his former officials from contesting political positions in Liberia in the future.

The former NTGL Chairman explained that the security situation in Liberia in 2003 when he took over as interim head of state was fragile and he ordered the disbursement of the funds to help maintain security.

“Other times we have serious security problem that involved our neighboring countries and when I went there their Presidents brought these matters to me. We have problem with disarmament and demobilization. I authorized the LPRC to pay monies to keep us save here and they say it is conspiracy and now we have more armed robbery here. To bring charges on my life on hold I cannot do anything”, Mr. Bryant shouted in court sometimes ago.

Number of posts : 437 Points : 197 Registration date : 2008-04-25

1st Course of Action:
Fire the Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe.

I just can't understand this nonsense; the freaking country was in the process of prosecuting this jackarse Bryant for embezzlement, and the freaking President was seen visiting him. What message was she sending to the Liberian people?

Well, we tend to follow our leaders. Therefore if our "Harvard trained" Ellen Johnson Sirleaf felt it was acceptable to visit an indicted criminal during the course of the major legal case, then the members of the jury must have felt it was also okay not to find him Guilty of the alleged crimes.

liberia continues to be entrenched in a governance system that is supported by three pillars-the church, the masonic craft and the 'government'. the cross-cutting commodity is patronage...from 'who knows who' to 'how you will embarass c%^&&a them like that so' to 'we go a long way back'. ellen is sucking up to most of these things.

small point: when dey other people who stole will go there too.

let tiawan keep his job...he fighting a system that is more than a century old.

what happened to the ECOWAS report that was the reference for the GOL taking them to court?

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