By Taisiah K. Merfee
International sanctions are meant to decapitate individuals and countries that run contrary to international standards and practices.
In Liberia, there are now at least three prominent Liberians who are being sanctioned for various crimes committed in violation of international standards and practices.
In May 2016, legal wrangling ensued between some accused members of the Global Witness Report and the Special Presidential Task Force set up to probe the report, the Government of Liberia, following the indictment of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Alex Tyler and Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman for allegedly committing multiple criminal offenses, bribery, economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, solicitation, and facilitation.
The writ of arrest issued by the Criminal Court “C” before Judge Emery Paye from the Clerk of the court Knowles Shain read: “You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Varney Sherman, E C B Jones, Christopher Onanuga, Alex Tyler and the Sable Mining Inc. by and thru its authorized representative charged with the commission of the crimes, bribery, criminal facilitation, conspiracy, solicitation, and economic sabotage.”
The writ further stated that the defendants have been charged based upon the indictment prepared against the Grand Jury of Montserrado County duly selected impaneled and sworn to inquire in and for the people of Montserrado county sitting in its May 2016 Term and forthwith bring them before this court to answer to the crimes mentioned supra.
Now eight years running into the sable mining indictment, the one-time Jannie’s Paradise located in lower Margibi County owned and operated by former House Speaker J. Alex Tyler a former indicted official in the Sable Mining corruption saga, is in a state of total abandonment with a huge presence of disadvantaged youth (ZOGOS), unto the facility and sometimes used for prostitution or “Short time” in Liberia pigeon English.
An Independent Probe investigation conducted over the weekend revealed that due to abandonment and lack of care, the famous Jannie’s Paradise, facility, is home to huge Zogos, drug users, and prostitutes.
Some residents told IPNEWS that the facility is now been used by some residents for garbage sites, while the front view of the area is also been used for a local cook bowl shop. IPNEWS cameras in the Bar sitting, filmed disadvantaged youths (Zogos) in their normal engagements of using harmful substances while local sex workers were also seen making midnight arrangements with their clients on pay-for-sex.
A young resident of the Boy’s Town community, (name withheld) told IPNEWS that it is saddening to see a million dollars investment being abandoned in the bush and the owner has no time to clean it thus leaving it logos.
He said the Former House speaker Alex Tyler no longer goes to the facility. “I do not understand why people would allegedly steal government money and do not have the technical knowledge or know how to manage the stolen money but to see it go down this way,” the lad told IPNEWS.
He added that when the area was open in 2016, the facility provided jobs for Hundreds of Librarians and other nationals but to see it abandoned to Zogos was the worse he could remember.
When asked if the former House speaker resides in the area, the Lad to IPNEWS, that the former House Speaker no longer resides in the area nor the Marshall environs.
It can be recalled that the FAMOUS Jannie’s Paradise was opened in 2016 by former House Speaker Alex J. Tyler and his Wife just two days before the 2017 New Year celebrations witnessed by top government officials, business giants, and ordinary librarians during the grand opening ceremony.
The facility was put at US 1 million Dollars while incorporating a classic Hotel, Bar, and restaurant along the Roberts International Airport highway.
It can be recalled in 2016, the corruption report by the Britain-based Global Witness alleged that over $950,000 in bribes and other suspicious payments were made to top Liberian officials by the Britain-based Sable Mining Company and its Liberian lawyer, Varney Sherman.
According to the report, Sable Mining wanted to get the concession rights to Liberia’s Wologizi iron ore deposit.
Sherman, who was also chairman of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s ruling Unity Party, allegedly told the company that in order to get the contract, Sable Mining must first offer bribes to senior officials to change Liberia’s concession laws.
Sherman, along with House of Representatives Speaker Alex Tyler, were then indicted for bribery, criminal conspiracy, economic sabotage, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation.
The report alleged former Speaker Alex Tyler received $75,000 for “consulting fees” and Richard Tolbert, former chairman of the National Investment Committee $50,000 for “consulting fees”.
Morris Saytumah, former Minister of State for Finance, Economic and Legal affairs, now a senator, also allegedly received $50,000 for “consulting fees”, and Willie Belleh, a former chairman of Public Procurement and Concessions Commission allegedly received $10,000 for “consulting fees”.
Two of the biggest payments went to persons identified in the report as “Bigboy 01” and “Bigboy 02”, who each allegedly received $250,000 with no explanation why the payments were made.
The report also alleged that former President Sirleaf’s son, Fombah Sirleaf, who was director of the National Security Agency also benefited with “a $7,598 hunting trip to South Africa paid for by Sable”.
Others mentioned in the report included former Senators Sumo Kupee and Cletus Wotorson, both of whom allegedly received $5,000 each for “consulting fees”.
Former Speaker Tyler along with Senator Sherman and two others, ECB Jones and Christopher Onanuga have all filed insurance bail bonds following their indictment.
Following the construction of his US$1 million mansion, former Speaker Tyler was accused of splashing money on his party to purchase brand new vehicles. Political pundits he was showcasing his financial strength displaying a fleet of brand new pickups at its headquarters, a continuation of the show of wealth by the former speaker who had unveiled a duplex worth more than US$1 million, raising suspicions that the third most powerful man might man used his position over the years to loot for the purpose of political campaign to maintain grip on power.
But Tyler denied the allegations saying he borrowed US$1 million from the Liberia Bank for Development (LBDI) for business purpose that is the money he used to construct the Jannie Paradise on RIA highway.
