At Executive Mansion, Five Arrested

-For Theft Of Property, Criminal Facilitation

By R Joyclyn Wea

Five persons believed to be contractors of CESAF Construction Company working on the renovation works on the building of the Executive Mansion have been arrested for alleged theft of property and criminal facilitation.

These five individuals include defendants Kiafa Fahnbulleh, James Tarpleh, Alfred Kollie, Barclay Kollie, And Amadu Jallah among others.

They were dragged to the Monrovia City Court on Monday, June 25, 2018 after being caught in the man hole where the wires are connecting the executive mansion to the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).

The defendants were arrested by some EPS officers based upon instruction of Augustine F. Bono, Supervisor of the Professional Standard Section, Executive Protective Services (EPS), and subsequently dragged to court for onward prosecution.

According to police charged sheet, the suspects admitted with the cables being in their possession during preliminary investigation by the EPS after which the defendants were turned over to the police or CSD for investigation based on the criminal nature of the matter.

It was established during the investigation that defendants Alfred Kollie, Barclay Kollie, James Tarpleh and Kiafa Fahnbulleh are all contractors for the CESAF Company responsible for the renovation of the executive mansion.

“That defendants herein were seen in the man hole unknown to their bosses at the executive mansion compound with the stolen wires on June 2, 2018.

it was further established that the defendants admitted to the allegation and mentioned that they were sent in the hole by defendant Alfred Kollie to remove the wires from the man hole to sell.

“That the exhibit or evidence cable wire in the possession of the investigation clearly shows that the defendants were involved in the commission of the crime (theft of property). And that defendant Alfred Kollie admitted selling the cable wires to Amadu Jallah on many occasions, which was also confirmed by Amadu Jallah,” the charged revealed.
In view of the investigative findings, coupled with exhibits or evidence (one ladder, one cable wire, one hard saw blade, and one cutter), including clues gathered during the anti-theft squad/CSD investigation, and the way the crime was committed, the investigative team resolved to charged defendant Alfred Kollie with crime of theft of property.

While defendants Barclay Kollie, James Tarpleh, Kiafa Fahnbulleh and Amadu Jallah were charged with the crime of criminal facilitation.

The act is in violation of chapters 10 and 15, sub-chapter “D”, section 10.2 and 15.51, respectively of the penal law of Liberia and are being forwarded to court pending trial.