By Bill W. Cooper
The political leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) Simeon Freeman has blasted the government for condemning the recent court ruling on the US$100 million drugs case that led to the unconditional release of the four suspects.
The politician said the Ministry of Justice’s statement was only to intentionally save the government of ‘national embarrassment’ and therefore described as unfair, unrealistic and unreasonable the decision by the court in order to paint a Judiciary with a weak and untrusted system.
On Thursday, May 18, 2023, the jurors at Criminal Court ‘C’ reached a unanimous’ not guilty’ verdict exonerating all four defendants; Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djalo, Oliver Zayzay, and Malam Conte off the charges of Money Laundering, Unlicensed Possession of Controlled Drugs, Unlicensed Importation Of Controlled Drugs, and Criminal Conspiracy.
Justice Minister through a press statement the following day said the outcome of the US$ 100 million cocaine trial brought Liberia to international ridicule and that the jury’s verdict clearly undermines the collective efforts of Liberia and its international coalition to clamp down on the illegal transit of illicit drugs using West Africa as the conduit to trade narcotics internationally from Latin America and elsewhere.
Minister Dean further disclosed that hours after the verdict and the release of the defendants by Judge A. Blamo Dixon, the four men absconded the country wondering why the men fled or are in hiding when they truly believed that they had committed no criminal offence adding, “This is sickening.”
But addressing a news conference yesterday in Monrovia, Mr. Freeman noted that the ruling says a lot about the Weah led-administration’s inability to address serious issues of national concerns and encourage the government to ensure that it follow-up on the case to the Supreme Court.
According to him, the decision by the court does not in any way mean that the four suspect should have been released and this issue really says a lot about Liberia and those that are leading the country because it has now placed a stench on the country.
He added, “This ruling also says a lot about the unseriousness this government attached to the case as well as those that are leading the prosecution team of the government. And in fact, what was really the basis for Minister Dean’s statement? But again, this too is Liberia.”
