–Fines FrontPage Africa US$500
By: Jacqueline Dennis
Criminal Court “C” Judge Blamo Dixon at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia on Tuesday June13, 2023, termed the May 19, 2023 edition publication of the FrontPage Africa in the US$100m cocaine case as false and misleading.
Judge Dixon rejected the apology of the FrontPage Africa and fined the media institution US$500.00 to be deposited in government revenue within 10 working days to serve as a deterrent to other journalists.
According to him, the Government of Liberia in the US$100m Cocaine Case destroyed evidence by not preserving the evidence.
Mallam Conte – one of the accused that was acquitted in the US$100 million recent cocaine case
Judge Dixon in an argument of Criminal Contempt proceeding against the management of FrontPage Africa newspaper said the government brunt the 510kg of cocaine at the BTC, and brought only 20kg to court.
He further argued that US$210,000.00 the Government of Liberia took from the defendants were not brought to court by prosecution and during the hearing the jurors and even him ( Judge Dixon) asked the prosecution to bring the money to the court but they did not.
Judge Dixon indicating that in the middle of the trial the prosecution informed the court that they wanted to amend the indictment by saying that only USD$113,000.00 they had, but that request was made after the indictment was read to the juror with USD$200.000.00 written in the indictment.
According to him, on May 18, 2023, the defendants were found not guilty and told the government to give back the defendants their US$200,000.00.
FrontPage Africa publisher Rodney Sieh
“The law says with the none guilty verdict, you should immediately free the defendants, only guilty verdict can turn around if the Judge wants, but none guilty cannot help nobody and the government cannot take an appeal,” he noted.
He maintained that TRH tempered with the evidence. Malam Conte went to pay for some container and give TRH US$200,000.00 and the general manager of TRH put Conte on gun point, instead of carry him to their warehouse at Bong Mines pier, they put him in the car and carried him at Topoe village when they got there the product were not in the container but in TRH warehouse.
He said the defense subpoena put hold in the government case. He also noted that the Minister of Justice sent massage to him but didn’t indicate what the Minister messaged him on.
Moreover, the judge said the court acknowledged receipt of the defendants’ response to the contempt charges brought against the management of the FrontPage Africa newspaper.
He said the court takes judicial notice of the second paragraph next to the conclusion of the defendant’s answer.
And it read thus: “defendant says with all sincerity that the actual, did not think or believe that its publication, subject to these contempt proceeding would be construed as contemptuous by this honorable court or the judiciary. However, to the extent that the publication is construed or may be construed as being contemptuous, defendant sincerely apologizes to your Honor, this honorable Court and the Liberian judiciary as a whole for and all negative light the said publication may have caused Your Honor, this honorable proceeding gears out to the 4 unanimous not guilty verdicts that were brought down court and Judiciary.”
This contempt by the Sequestrated trial jurors of the criminal Court “C in the US$100million dollars cocaine case. 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 11votes and the government of Liberia 1 vote, for the crime of money laundering the jurors awarded the defendants 1l votes and, the government of Liberia 1 vote. For the crime of criminal conspiracy, the jurors awarded the defendants 9 votes and the Government of Liberia 3 votes.
According to him that “that means there were 48 votes cast by the jurors and out of those 48 votes the jurors awarded the defendant 43votes and government 5 votes, after the verdicts on May l8, 2023 the FrontPage Africa newspaper carried a publication in its newspaper of volume 17, number 093 dated May 19, 2023 on page 5 thereof and stated: “the jury verdict comes as a big shock to many who are familiar with the box as multiple sources confirm to the front page Africa that the sum of USSS00,000.00 was splash around judicial circles to influence the jury”. The court not been satisfied with such malicious publication, issued the writ against the management of the FrontPage Africa newspaper.
Judge Dixon said the writ of summon specially states that the “defendant management is hereby summon to show cause why defendant management should not be held in criminal contempt and to establish and prove where, when, how and who received 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 “C” for Montserrado Court, Republic of Liberia as reported in volume 17, number 093 of the May 19,2023 edition of the FrontPage Africa Newspaper” As reported by volume 17, number 093 of the May 10, 2023 edition of the FrontPage Africa Newspaper”
In response thereto, the FrontPage Africa newspaper filed a response to the summons. The defendant’s response is self-explanatory and signed by two of Liberia’s permanent lawyers, Cllr. J. Johnny. Momoh and Cllr. T. Negbalee Warner formal Dean of the Lewis Arthur Grimes School Law at the University of Liberia.
