By Grace Q. Bryant
Trial jurors in Judge Blamo Dixon’s Criminal Court “C” on yesterday brought down a unanimous ‘Not Guilty’ verdict against all four defendants in US$100 million Cocaine case at the Temple of Justice.
The jurors’ final decision was reached after listening to the prosecutors and defense lawyers’ argument, seven general witnesses and five defense subpoenaed witnesses along with evidences admitted and marked by the court.
Judge Dixon immediately ordered the prosecution to return the defendants’ US$200,000 and US$10,000 that were sized by the Government of Liberia.
During a counter argument with the defense, prosecution argued that the State lawyers proved their case beyond all reasonable doubts.
Prosecution claimed that all of their witnesses’ testimonies were corroborative and called on members of the panel to hand down a guilty verdict against the four defendants which are Malam Conte, Adulai Djibri Djalo, Makki Admeh Issam and Oliver A. Zayzay.
Prosecution also indicated in their argument that six witnesses were produced with evidences linking the defendants of committing the crime.
The State lawyers also said during the case, six instruments produced into evidence were submitted to the court while the defense also argued it side of the case calling on the jurors to hand down a not guilty verdict.
The defense maintained in its argument that the Government of Liberia falsely linked the defendants to the crime and pleaded that it is for that reason, the jury should look at all of their evidences that were brought to court and hand down a not guilty verdict.
“Free these people based on evidence because there was no evidence to link the defendants. The entire case rests on the statements from Malam Conte” the defense noted.
Defense calm that the real people were set aside and the government intentionally and knowingly brought the innocent people to court.
The defendants’ legal team argued requesting the court to tell the Government of Liberia through the prosecution to return the US$200, 000 seized from on of their clients and also they should also gave Oliver Zayzay his US$10, 000 that was taken from him at the time of his arrest.
The four defendants and others to be identified, who are linked to the recent US$100 million cocaine were indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County on charges of Money Laundering, Unlicensed Possession and Importation of Controlled Drugs, and Criminal Conspiracy.
The four counts in the indictment noted that Conte, Djalo and Issam, Zayzay, and others to be identified, conspired, colluded, and facilitated to commit the crime of Money Laundering, which is a felony of the first degree, and the unlicensed importation of controlled drug or substance.
The others are unlicensed possession of controlled drugs or substances which are also felonies of the first degree and criminal conspiracy, a felony of second Degree.
The indictment also noted that the act of the defendants is contrary to Section 15.2 of the Money Laundering Act, 2.2(b) of the Penal Law of Liberia, and against the peace and dignity of Liberia.
However, the indictment states that the acts of the Defendants are contrary to Section 14.102 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act 2014 and 2.2(b) of the Penal Law of Liberia as well as against the peace and dignity of Liberia.
In the same vein, the indictment noted that the defendant’s acts are contrary to Sections 107 and 111 of the Controlled Drugs and Substance Acts 2014 and 2.2(b) of the Penal Law of Liberia, and they also hindered 4LCLR Title 26, Section 10.4 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) and 4LCLR, Title 26, Section 2.2(b) of the Penal Law of Liberia and against the peace and dignity of Liberia.
The US$100 million cocaine trial which began last year was heard during the November Term of Court initially derived on Saturday, October 1, 2022, when defendant Zayszay, a Liberian national along with some foreign associates were arrested after seeking to purchase a shipping container full of fresh frozen pig feet from a refrigerated storage facility in Monrovia.
The defendants had initially offered to pay the owners of the container, AJA Group Holdings, the sum of US$200,000 for the entire container that cost less than US$30,000 but when the defendants within less than eight hours decided to double their offer by another US$100,000 and then finally to US$1 million, AJA Group then suspected that Zayzay and his associates were dealing with a serious case of narcotics trafficking.
The company said they contacted the United States Ambassador, a move that brought both the American and Liberian anti-narcotics law enforcement agents into the picture and caught the suspects red-handed.
Defendant Issam, and co-defendants Djalo and Zayzay were turned over to the government on October 6, through Lorenzo Pehlam, Deputy Director for Operations, Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) for allegedly trafficking drugs between the Liberian and Sierra Leonean borders as well as money laundering and criminal conspiracy.
The Government of Sierra Leone arrested and turned over the three men who were allegedly involved in the shipment of 520kg of cocaine valued at US$100 million.
On October 1, it was said that the defendants concealed 29 cartons of cocaine among cartons of pig feet labeled with Allegra foods, which was seized at the SONIT Liberia Incorporated compound, Topoe’s village, Japan Freeway, Montserrado County.
During the investigation, police indicated that it was also established that on October 1, Co-defendant Issam, believe to be a Lebanese man was seen at the Fresh Frozen Food Company located at Bong Mines Pier with Defendant Conte, negotiating for the purchase of the container marked MNBU4070592 on behalf of Malam Conte and Adulai Djibri Djalo.
Defendant Issam accordingly escaped upon the arrest of co-defendant Conte and subsequently fled to neighboring Sierra Leone along with Co-defendants Zayzay andDjalo.
