By Grace Q. Bryant
The judge of Criminal Court “C” Blamo Dixon has described all four charges against the defendants in the just ended US$100m cocaine case as bogus.
The defendants were indicted on four counts including money laundering, unlicensed importation of controlled drugs, unlicensed possession of controlled drugs and of criminal conspiracy.
Speaking Tuesday when the management of FrontPage Africa appeared for criminal contempt proceedings, Judge Dixon said the four drug defendants were acquitted by jurors because crimes lavish by persecution did not commensurate with crimes committed.
He discloses that the testimony of the New Dawn Newspaper publisher created a serious undermined the Government of Liberia.
Judge Dixon also said that the testimony of the Customs Brokers Association of Liberia president James Hinneh also undermines the entire court proceeding.
According to Judge Dixon, government ministries informed the jurors on the stand that TRH containers are not allowed to pass through the regular channel at the Freeport of Monrovia.
The criminal Court “C” Judge added that the Custom Brokers president also revealed that the GTMS tracking system informed the government on many occasions that a particular container on its way needed to be checked at the Freeport of Monrovia, adding that the government did not listen.
“This contempt proceeding gear out to the four unanimous not guilty verdicts that were brought down by the Sequestrated trial jurors of the criminal Court “C in the US$1 million dollars cocaine case,” he added.
Judge Dixon explained, “A careful review of the voters’ case by the jurors for the crime of unlicensed importation of controlled drugs the jurors awarded the defendants 12 votes and awarded the government of Liberia zero votes.
For the crime of unlicensed possession of controlled drugs, the jurors awarded the defendants 11 votes and the government of Liberia one vote; for the crime of money laundering the jurors awarded the defendants 11 votes and the government of Liberia one vote and for the crime of criminal conspiracy, the jurors awarded the defendants nine votes and the government of Liberia three votes,” he noted.
“That means there were 48 votes cast by the jurors and out of those 48 votes the jurors awarded the defendant 43 votes and government five votes. After the verdicts on May 18, 2023 the FrontPage Africa newspaper carried a publication in its newspaper on May 19, stated: “the jury verdict comes as a big shock to many who are familiar with the box as multiple sources confirm to the Frontpage Africa that the sum of US$500,000.00 was splash around judicial circles to influence the jury,” he maintained.
He said the court, not been certify with such malicious publication, issued the writ against the management of the FrontPage Africa Newspaper.
According to the contempt charge, the defendant management is hereby summoned to show cause why defendant management should not be held in criminal contempt and to established and prove where, when, how and who receive and splashed the US$500,000.00 around judicial circles to influence the Jury in the US$100 million cocaine case that was heard, determined and disposed by the first Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court.
He continued that the US$210, 000.00 that the government took from the defendant were not brought to court, indicating that in the middle of the trial, the prosecution informed the court that they amend the indictment to US$113,000.00.
He added that the government did not produce all the evidence including the drugs in the open court.
Meanwhile, Judge Dixon termed the FrontPage Africa publication against the court as false and misleading as the prosecution did not do justice to herself.
Following, the court argument the Criminal Court “C” judge rejected the management of FrontPage Africa’s apology extended.
The judged fined the sum of US$500 to be deposited in the government of Liberia revenue.
The defendant FrontPage Africa in their response to the contempt, said that they did not intend and could not have intended to blame, embarrass or denigrate the court or the Liberian judiciary in regard to the publication of the story in question.
The FrontPage added that it will never engage in act(s) or publish any story for the purpose of ridiculing, bringing into disrepute, or undermining the dignity of the court and the Judiciary at large.
Defendant noted that with all sincerity that it actually did not think or believe that its publication, subject of these contempt proceedings, would be construed as contemptuous by the court or the judiciary.
However, the defendant said to the extent that the publication is construed or may be construed as being contemptuous,
The defendant apologized to court and the Liberian judiciary as a whole for any and all negative light the said publication may have caused the court and Judiciary.
