Gov’t Challenges Bond

TNR, Monrovia, Liberia:  Government’s Lawyers are Challenging the credibility of the bond filed by legal counsels defending the interest of the two National Housing Authority (NHA) officials and others over their involvement in a criminal matter currently before the Monrovia City Court.

Duannah Siryon, Tugbeh C. Tugbeh, Augustine Weah, and Isaac Roberts were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) after being indicted by the government of Liberia for multiple offenses ranging from theft of property, economic sabotage, bribery, criminal conspiracy and criminal solicitation.

Subsequently; Siryon, Tugbeh, Weah, and Roberts were released Tuesday, December 4, 2018 when the Sky Insurance Company allegedly tabled US$92,000.00 as their criminal appearance bond.

Government lawyers are further calling for their re-arrest on grounds that the bond filed was not credible to had warrant their released from prison.

Government’s lawyer mentioned that aside from the insufficiency of the amount, there were no tax clearance and bank statement attach from the Sky Insurance Company to prove the rightfulness of the defendant’s bond consistent with law.

Montserrado County Chief Prosecutor, Edwin Martin questioned the insufficiency of the amount proffered by the insurance company claiming that the security of the bond was inadequate to restore the two officials and others freedom.

Prior to their released Tuesday, defense lawyers filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Supreme Court of Liberia complaining that Judge Kennedy Peabody was wrongfully detaining their clients by refusing to accept their bond.

But, the Supreme Court through its Justice In-Chambers declined to grant the defendants application on grounds that said petition was out of order and later mandated Judge Peabody to proceed with the matter.

Government lawyers further claimed to have sufficient evidence in their position to obtain a true bill from the grand jury seating in its November 2018 term of court.

Accordingly, defendants counsel had further filed a petition to that effect arguing among other things that the bond filed was credible and adequate to have warranted their released.  NR