The prosecution in the ongoing trafficking in persons case before Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice has presented disturbing testimony from witnesses who alleged they were lured to Monrovia with promises of traveling to Canada, only to be confined in a fenced compound where they suffered abuse, intimidation, sexual exploitation, and repeated demands for money.
Taking the witness stand, prosecution witness Precious Thomas testified that she was operating a business in Grand Gedeh County when a man identified as Bill Plato contacted her about an opportunity to travel to Canada.
According to Thomas, after months of communication, she and her boyfriend raised US$3,000 for what she was told were processing fees. Thomas told the court that upon arriving in Monrovia, she was taken to a fenced compound near the beach and introduced to several of the defendants currently standing trial.
She alleged that after surrendering the money, she was prevented from leaving the compound and was cut off from communication with her family. The witness further testified that Bill Plato allegedly sexually exploited her and repeatedly pressured her to solicit additional money from relatives and friends.
She claimed that occupants who failed to comply with instructions to seek more funds were subjected to punishment.
According to her testimony, security personnel at the compound carried weapons, including cutlasses, knives, pepper spray, and shovels, while residents were forced to sleep on bare ground and survive on inadequate food.
Thomas also recounted the illness and eventual death of a young woman identified as Ophelia. She said another resident, Linda, became seriously ill and requested permission to return home for treatment but was allegedly denied.
The witness stated that residents eventually shouted for help, attracting the attention of passersby outside the compound. When concerned citizens demanded access to the premises, the occupants seized the opportunity to force open the gate and escape.
The prosecution’s fourth witness, Racheal Lakpor, offered similar testimony. Lakpor told the court that she was living in Nimba County when a man identified as Maxson Wonlebaye contacted her in May 2024 with promises of overseas travel opportunities.
After her family raised US$1,000, she traveled to Monrovia, where she met Wonlebaye. According to Lakpor, she was first taken to a residence in Kissi Camp before being moved to a fenced compound in Mambas Town.
She alleged that shortly after her arrival, Wonlebaye sexually assaulted her. Lakpor further testified that she later discovered she was pregnant and informed him, but he allegedly provided medication intended to terminate the pregnancy and pressured her to take it against her will.
Lakpor told jurors that her phone was confiscated and that she was repeatedly compelled to contact relatives and friends to request money. She alleged that when she refused, she was punished and forced to perform strenuous physical activities, including pumping tires for extended periods.
Despite relatives sending thousands of dollars through mobile money transfers, she said no travel arrangements were ever made. She also corroborated testimony regarding the poor living conditions at the compound and the death of another occupant, Ophelia Miaway. Lakpor stated that residents eventually escaped after attracting the attention of people outside the facility and later reported the matter to authorities.
During the proceedings, defense lawyers objected to the introduction of certain police documents, arguing that portions of the records had not been disclosed to the defense. However, the court overruled the objection, ruling that the witness could identify the documents while leaving it to the jury to determine their authenticity and evidentiary value.
In a dramatic development on June 10, 2026, one of the defendants, Shirley Johnny, informed the court that she wished to make a statement despite advice from her lawyer to remain silent. Johnny admitted that some allegations contained in the indictment were true and expressed a willingness to testify for the prosecution. When questioned by the court, Johnny stated: “Some of the allegations contained in the indictment are true, and what I saw is what I will talk about because I was there.”
Following consultations, state prosecutors invoked Chapter 18, Section 18.1 of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law and entered a nolle prosequi, dropping all charges against Johnny after she agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. The court subsequently removed her from the list of defendants and qualified her as a prosecution witness.
Testifying before the jury, Johnny said she was recruited from Nimba County with promises of traveling to Canada after paying thousands of United States dollars in processing fees. She alleged that she and others were taken to a compound in Mambas Town, where they were pressured to recruit additional victims and solicit money from relatives.
According to Johnny, occupants who failed to comply faced punishments that included kneeling under the hot sun, forced exercises, verbal abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. She also described deplorable living conditions and recounted the death of fellow occupant Ophelia Miatay.
According to the indictment returned by the Grand Jury for Montserrado County, prosecutors alleged that Bill Plato and more than twenty co-defendants operated a trafficking scheme between October 2024 and 2025 involving at least 57 victims recruited from seven counties across Liberia.
The indictment alleges that victims, ranging in age from 18 to 36 years, were recruited, transported, harbored, and deceived with promises of traveling to Canada for better opportunities. Prosecutors contend that the victims collectively paid approximately US$124,921 to the defendants for purported travel arrangements.
The indictment further alleges that after receiving the money, the defendants confined victims in a fenced compound in Gbangbah Town along the Roberts International Airport Highway, where they were subjected to coercion and abuse.
Victims reportedly alleged that they were forced to pump tires, lie under the scorching sun, drink excessive amounts of water, and perform other punishments whenever they refused to request additional money from family members.
The defendants are currently facing charges of Trafficking in Persons, a first-degree felony, Theft of Property, and Criminal Conspiracy. The trial continues before Criminal Court “A” as prosecutors seek to establish what they describe as one of the country’s largest alleged human trafficking operations in recent years.
