IPNews-Monrovia: It is becoming evidently clear that the prosecutorial arm of the George Weah adminostrstion needs an unprecedented overhaul.

Forth night ago, Judge Yamie Gbeisay of Criminal Court C dimmised and restored he rights of all Central Bank Officials in the alleged missing 16 billion for lack of sufficient evidence and subsequent mislead of the prosecution by the special President Investigatative Team setup to investigate the scandal.

The same Judge Yamie Gbeisay again dismissed the case involving former Passport Director Andrew Wonpole, for failure of prosecution to make returns follow two separate court sitting.

With these consecutive trends, Legal minds are wondering what might be happening with government prosecutorial team under the watchful eyes of touch talking Cephus.

As these legal misfortune continue for government prosecution, the Judge of Criminal Court “C” A. Blamo Dixon now is seeking the rearrest of the former passport Director Andrew D.
Wonplo and eleven others for multiple crimes.

Judge Dixon on Thursday, September 17, 2020, issued an arrest ordered for defendants Wonplo, Adedoyin Emmanuel Atiroko, James S. Fallah, Edward Egbedi, Frauk MB Kamara, J. Rannie Binda, Worjloh David Nippy Jr., Joseph Harris, William Reeves, Johnson P. Anderson, N’Mengatin A. Kanneh, Marian Sory, and others to be identified but only Marian Sory was arrested and incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach).

The defendants were charged with the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property, Forgery and Criminal Conspiracy based on an indictment prepared against them by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County.

The Judge ordered the sheriff to make their official returns endorsed on the back of the writ of arrest, indicating the manner and form of the writ service.

The Writ of Arrest quoted as saying, “You are hereby Commanded to Arrest the living bodies of Andrew D.Wonplo, Adedoyine Emmanuel Atiroko, James S. Fallah, Edward Egbedi, Frauk MB. Kamara, J. Rannie Binda, Worjloh David Nippy, JR., Joseph Harris, William Reeves, Johnson P. Anderson, N’Mengatin A, Konneh, Marian Sory, and Others to be indentified, Defendants, names in the above entitled cause of action, charged with the commission of the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property, Forgery and Criminal Conspiracy bade upon the indictment prepared against them by the Grand Jury duly selected, Empanelled, and Sword to inquire in and for the people of Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, and Forthwith bring them before this Honorable Court, First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “C” for Montserrado County, Sitting in its August Term, A.D. 2020, to answer to the said charges mentioned Supra”.

It further said, “You are hereby commanded to have your official returns endorsed on the back of this Writ of Arrest, indicating the manner and form of its service.

It can be recalled that the suspended Passport Director, Andrew Wonploe, was arrested on four counts of passport fraud.
The judge overseeing the prosecution of Andrew Wonploe, the suspended Passport Director, who allegedly defrauded the government of Liberia US$25,000 in the illegal sale of passports to non-Liberians, has dismissed all criminal charges against the defendant and his co-conspirator.

The decision by Judge Yamie Gbeisay of Criminal Court C to drop prosecution charges against the defendant and his associate came as a result of the Ministry of Justice (prosecutors) failure to make a substantial follow-up on the case.

With this ruling, Judge Gbeisay’s decision means that the government can no longer continue with Wonploe prosecution. Gbeisay’s action immediately followed after Wonploe’s legal team prayed the court to drop the government charges that included economic sabotage, theft of property, and criminal conspiracy for allegedly defrauding the state of US$25,000 in the illegal sale of passports to non-Liberians — an accusation that Wonploe had denied.

The government also claimed that Wonploe connived with a Nigerian national identified as Adeydoyin Atiro to sell the 4,250 pieces of Liberian passports entrusted into his care by the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The court claims that “the government has deliberately refused to pursue this accusation it levied against Wonplo leaving it with no option but to grant Wonplo’s request to drop the case against him.

With this renew arrest of Mr. Wonpole and others, legal pundits tell IPNews that this is a slapped in the face of Liberia’s legal jurisprudence.

Scrolls of legal minds informed IPNews that the renew arrest of Mr. Wonpole could be termed as ‘jungle Justice’, as the accused was duly tried and acquitted in a legally constituted court of competent jurisdiction.

Others view the resumption of Wonpole’s case as a matter of ‘face saving’, from Liberia oldest traditional friend, the United States of America which continue to rate the Justice system as underperforming.

It may be recalled recently the Untied States officials rejected Mr. Andrew Wonplo, from entry into America for criminal changes of Corruption committed in Liberia, while serving as Director, Bureau of Visa and Passport, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to a statement issued by Secretary Michael Pompeo, stated that the Public Designation of Andrew Wonplo is due to involvement in acts of significant Corruption.

“Today, I am announcing the public designation of the former Director of Passport and Visas at the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andrew Wonplo, due to his involvement in significant corruption.”

The U.S. department of State stated that Mr. Wonplo in his official capacity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2019, was involved in passport fraud that undermined the rule of law, reduced the Liberian public’s faith in their government’s management of identification and travel documents, and compromised the integrity and security of immigration processes.

“This designation is made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. G, P.L. 116-94). Under Section 7031(c), once the Secretary of State designates officials of foreign governments for their involvement, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.”

” The law also requires the Secretary of State to either publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members. In addition to Mr. Wonplo, I am announcing the public designation of his spouse, Dennice Wonplo, and their minor children.” The U.S. Department stated said.

The U.S. Department reaffirms its support and commitment to Liberia

“This designation reaffirms U.S. commitment to standing with the people and government of Liberia in their fight against corruption. The Department will continue to use these authorities to promote accountability for corrupt actors in this region and globally.” The statement emphasized.

According to the US Secretary of State, the designation is made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. G, P.L. 116-94). “Under Section 7031(c), once the Secretary of State designates officials of foreign governments for their involvement, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States. The law also requires the Secretary of State to either publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members. In addition to Mr. Wonplo, I am announcing the public designation of his spouse, Dennice Wonplo, and their minor children. This designation reaffirms U.S. commitment to standing with the people and government of Liberia in their fight against corruption. The Department will continue to use these authorities to promote accountability for corrupt actors in this region and globally.”

Wonplo was arrested in August 2019 and sent to the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice where he was detained for his failure to secure a criminal appearance bond after officers of the Liberian National
Police had forwarded him to the Magisterial Court for prosecution.

Mr. Wonplo and a Nigerian national identified as Adedoyin E. Atiro were indicted by the state during the August term of court in 2019 on three crimes–economic Sabotage, theft of property and criminal conspiracy.

The Police charge sheet indicated that while serving as Passport Director in July 2019 and before his arrest in August 2019 4, 250 pieces of blank Liberian Passports were entrusted to the Passport and Visas Bureau under his supervision as Director of Passport at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.