‘Safe Haven’ Crushed!

-As Govt ‘Tightens Grip’On Weeks, Sirleaf & Others; ‘Ne Exeat Republica’ Unleashed

Considering the seriousness, fearless and uncompromising posture adopted by President George M. Weah’s leadership in connection with the just-released L$16billion chronicle, amazing things are rapidly unfolding in the process. 

Already, the Liberian Government through the Ministry of Justice has tightened the grip by issuing ‘Ne Exeat Republica’ on five current and former officials of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) accused of printing Liberian dollars banknotes amounting to L$2.6billion in excess.

Ne Exeat Republica (Latin words meaning: “let him not go out of the republic”) is an equitable writ restraining a person from leaving the jurisdiction of the court or the state.

According to the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), the government through the Ministry of Justice has sent the writ to all ports of entries in the country.

Earlier this month, the Liberia National Police (LNP) forwarded to the Monrovia City Court, Charles Sirleaf, CBL’s Deputy Governor for Operations and son of former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Executive Governor Milton Weeks, Richard H. Walker, Joseph G. Dennis and Dorbor Hagba for reportedly acting on their own to print L$2.6billion in excess. They are charged with multiple counts ranging from Criminal Conspiracy, Economic Sabotage, Misused of Public Money, Property or Records and criminal facilitation.

According to the indictment, Sirleaf, Weeks, Hagba, Walker, and Dennis conspired to commit the crime of economic sabotage, a felony of the first degree in flagrant violation of chapter 15, sub-chapter “F”, sections 15.80(a)(b)(c), 15.81(a)(b)(c) and 15.82(b)(c) of the new penal law of Liberia.

The indictment further noted that the defendants by virtue of their employment and positions within the CBL, intentionally colluded and conspired and defrauded, the bank particularly the Government of Liberia by printing excess Liberian dollar banknotes amounting to L$2,645,000,000.00 and US$835,367.72 to be paid for the cost of printing to Crane Currency without authority to infuse said into the Liberian market.

The CBL at the same time provided false information and reports on the actual quantity of the money printed, supplied and delivered by the company (Crane Currency).

The accused through their lawyers have filed a L$5billion property bond, but it is still being assessed to ensure its legitimacy before honoring such bond.                                   TNR