Doloquee
- Shocking acquittal: All four defendants in the $100M landmark cocaine case are acquitted by Jurors of Criminal Court C, marking the end of the country’s biggest drugs saga.
- Charges and unanimous verdict: The defendants faced multiple charges including money laundering, possession and importation of controlled drugs, and criminal conspiracy. 11 out of 12 jurors found them not guilty, leading to the return of seized funds.
- Controversial claims and US government disappointment: Defense lawyers alleged false accusations by the Liberian government, while reports of alleged bribery to influence the jury surface. The US government expresses disappointment in Liberia’s judicial system, and the Justice Minister orders the rearrest of the suspects, intending to escalate the case to the Supreme Court.
Liberians were left shocked on Thursday as Jurors of Criminal Court C acquitted all four defendants in the $100M landmark cocaine case. The Jurors’ unanimous decision brought to an end the months-long case of the biggest drugs saga in the country’s history.
The court charged the four defendants (Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djalo, Oliver Zayzay, and Malam Conte) with multiple offenses ranging from money laundering to unlicensed possession of controlled drugs to unlicensed importation of controlled drugs to criminal conspiracy.
After going through the case, 11 out of the 12 jurors found the men not guilty of all charges levied against them. The judge, therefore, ordered the court to give back US$200,000 seized from the men by the Liberian government.
Read Also: Landmark US$100M Cocaine Case Reaches Final Verdict Today
In closing arguments on Thursday, the defense lawyers claimed the Government of Liberia falsely linked the defendants to the crime while letting the actual perpetrators go scot-free and rather prosecuted “innocent people.”
Amid these words from the defense lawyer, FrontPageAfrica is reporting that a sum of US$500,000 was splashed around judicial circles to influence the jury.
With this news in the media, it’s also being reported that the US government is highly disappointed in the Judicial system of Liberia. Meanwhile, according to FrontPageAfrica, Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean confirmed that his [Minister Dean] office has ordered the rearrest of the suspects and will push the matter to the Supreme Court.
