ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020, the Judge of Criminal Court “C”, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, handed down a guilty verdict on former Minister of Defense, J. Brownie Samuka, his Deputy, Joseph P. Johnson, and James Nyumah Dorkor for misuse of public property, theft of property and criminal conspiracy for their misuse of US$1,147,656 retirement pension of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), sentencing them to a two-year suspended prison term—on the condition that they restitute the entire US$1,147,656 or a large portion of the amount within the period of six months and provide assurance of restitution of the balance sum within a year’s time.
FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER Samukai, Johnson and Dorkor proceeded to file an appeal at the Supreme Court, their right under the law. Now, the Supreme Court has upheld the ruling of the Criminal Court “C”, although with some degree of modification: the Supreme Court has convicted former Defense Minister Samukai, his former Deputy Johnson and Dorkor of the misuse of the AFL retirement pension entrusted in their care.
ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced former Minister Samukai, his deputy, Johnson and Dorkor, each, to a two-year imprisonment. Upholding the ruling of the lower Criminal Court “C”, the Supreme Court ruled that the sentences shall be suspended—conditional on the convicted officials restituting the entire US$1,147,656 or restituting 50% within a six-month period, following which the assurance of paying the remaining amount of money is made in a year’s time. In the ruling of the lower Criminal Court “C” and the up-held ruling of the Supreme Court, the highest arbiter of justice in the nation, the justice for convicted corruption is imprisonment and restitution.
THE SUPREME COURT, in its ruling, was emphatically clear that, if the convicted officials falter in restituting the 50% within six months and providing assurance of restituting the balance 50% within one year, they will be sent to prison and remain there until the full settlement of the US$1,147,656 is made.