Monrovia City Court Magistrate L. Ben Barco has ruled that prosecutors established probable cause against Paul Jamaal King and several co-defendants in the alleged US$19.2 million cocaine trafficking case, ordering that the matter be forwarded to Criminal Court “C” for trial after an indictment is drawn by Criminal Court “A”. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday,…
Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice has imposed one of the harshest penalties under Liberia’s Amended Trafficking in Persons Act of 2021, sentencing seven members of a human trafficking syndicate to 50 years’ imprisonment each for orchestrating a fraudulent Canada employment scheme that exploited dozens of vulnerable Liberians. Resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie…
The preliminary hearing in the alleged attempted exportation of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than US$19.2 million is expected to reach a critical stage on Monday, July 13, 2026, when final arguments will be presented before Monrovia City Court Magistrate L. Ben Barco. Following submissions from both the prosecution and defense, the magistrate…
After weeks of testimony and legal arguments in one of Liberia’s most closely watched human trafficking prosecutions, a jury at Criminal Court “A” on Monday, July 6, 2026, unanimously found Bill Plato and all of his co-defendants guilty of Trafficking in Persons, Criminal Conspiracy, and Theft of Property. The unanimous verdict returned after approximately 30…
With the rejection of Madam Finda Bondoo’s Criminal Appearance Bond, legal experts believe that she may go to jail if she cannot fulfill her obligation to the court within 72 hours. Over the weekend, Criminal Court “C” rejected the criminal appearance surety bond submitted by former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bondoo, concluding…
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay Sr., has appointed a new leadership for the Judiciary’s Public Defense Program in a move aimed at strengthening legal representation for indigent defendants across the country. The appointments were announced in a memorandum dated July 1, 2026, and signed by the Administrator of…
Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice has adjourned bond justification proceedings involving former Chief of Protocol to former President George Weah, Nora Finda Bondoo, after hearing testimony from the first surety supporting her criminal appearance bond. Taking the witness stand, Cllr. Abraham W. Simpson testified that he owns a property located in Gaye…
The People’s Republic of Ireland has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peacebuilding, reconciliation, and youth empowerment in Liberia with the launch of the PeaceGen Project, a major initiative funded by the European Union with co-funding from the Government of Ireland. Speaking at the official launching ceremony held at the Cape Hotel in Monrovia on Tuesday,…
Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie has ordered the release of an additional eleven pretrial detainees from the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) ruling that their continuous detention violates Liberia’s statutory and constitutional guarantees of a speedy trial. The eleven detainees are among 219 inmates expected to be released ‘without prejudice to the State,’…
One of the defense witness in the human trafficking case at the Temple of Justice has denied allegations of trafficking in persons during her testimony before Criminal Court “A,” where she is standing trial alongside over 50 others on charges of Trafficking in Persons, Criminal Conspiracy, and Theft of Property. Taking the witness stand in…
