“The defendants deceived their victims, recruited them, harbored them, exploited them, sexually abused them and took money from them as registration fees,” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie said during his more than two-hour reading of a 36-page judgment. “These are all critical elements of trafficking in persons. And it is the considered judgment of this court…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A Liberian court awarded US$120,000 in restitution to victims and imposed the country’s longest-ever human trafficking sentences, sentencing eight defendants to 50 years and three others to 20 in Liberia’s largest trafficking case. The court ordered banks and telecommunications companies to identify and freeze assets belonging…
A 12-member jury in Monrovia has unanimously convicted eight defendants in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, finding them guilty of trafficking 57 victims after just 23 minutes of deliberation. The case, which involved harrowing testimony of beatings, torture, rape, and financial exploitation, was seen as a landmark test of Liberia’s justice system amid allegations of…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Jurors hearing Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial on Monday unanimously found the remaining defendants guilty, bringing to a close a nearly month-long trial marked by emotional testimony from victims and fierce legal battles between prosecutors and defense lawyers. The 12-member jury returned its verdict after just…
Outcome seen as measure of justice system under international scrutiny for bribery allegations By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants A jury convicted all eight defendants on all charges Monday in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, delivering a unanimous verdict after roughly 20…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Prosecutors rested after calling three subpoenaed government witnesses to challenge key claims made by the defense. Witnesses testified that Infinity Millennium was registered with the government but had not paid taxes or declared income, and that QNet was not registered to import pharmaceutical products into Liberia….
Jurors in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial visited the compound in Margibi County where 57 alleged victims say they were held, abused, and forced to recruit relatives and friends into the trafficking network. Prosecutors argue the site was the base of an organization that lured people with false promises of jobs abroad before subjecting them…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: · The judge rejected a defense request to disregard a jury inspection report on the alleged crime scene. · Prosecutors opened their rebuttal case with seven witnesses, including victims, as senior police investigator Enoch Dunbar denied taking defendants’ property. · Additional rebuttal witnesses disputed testimony from defendants as the…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: · Jurors, defendants and alleged victims in Liberia’s biggest human trafficking trial visited the compound where all 57 victims said they were held, marking a pivotal moment as the trial enters its final stages. · The inspection revealed the layout of the compound, which defendants insist was a…
Alexander Saye Plato, one of the defendants in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, denied charges of trafficking, conspiracy, and theft, while corroborating earlier testimony that members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail visited the compound at the center of the case. He testified that the officers came to inspect the facility after the Vice…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: • A third defendant in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial corroborated testimony from two co-defendants that members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail visited the compound at the center of the case. The defendants said the officers inspected the facility after Koung moved into the…
Stanley Wonlebaye, one of the defendants in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, testified that four members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail visited the compound at the center of the case, corroborating earlier testimony from another defendant. He claimed the officers entered, were briefed on the organization’s activities, and then left without interfering, saying…
The defendant in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial denied all charges, insisting that his compound was legitimate and even claimed that members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail had inspected the premises. He argued that this inspection demonstrated transparency, while the court ordered a site visit to the compound at the center of the…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: • A second defendant in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial corroborated earlier testimony that four members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail visited the compound at the center of the case and went further by claiming they “accepted” the operation after being briefed on their…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: • A defendant in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial testified Monday that four members of Vice President Jeremiah Koung’s security detail inspected the compound where victims were allegedly held before the vice president moved into a house nearby and found no evidence of the crimes. •…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: On day seven of Liberia’s largest human-trafficking trial, an accused perpetrator testified that he was an “independent representative” of QNet, the Malaysian e-commerce company, that has become synonymous with human trafficking throughout West Africa, undertaking legal activities recruiting people to be representatives and sellers for the…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Liberia’s government said on Tuesday that it will investigate bribery allegations connected to the country’s largest human trafficking trial, which is now in its second week. Sumo C. Kutu Akoi, a senior human trafficking prosecutor, when asked about the prospect of a probe, told FrontPage Africa/New Narratives that…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: In a dramatic testimony in Liberia’s largest human-trafficking case, a key prosecution witness left her wooden chair in the courtroom and walked—about five steps—to the defendants’ dock to identify the remaining men and women on trial. The witness, identified as L., to protect her from…
In a dramatic twist during Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, one of the accused traffickers stunned the court by pleading guilty and testifying against her co-defendants. Her confession and cooperation mark a pivotal moment in the landmark case, which involves dozens of victims and multiple defendants, signaling a potential breakthrough in the country’s fight against…
On the opening day of Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, the courtroom fell silent as one of the 57 alleged victims broke down in tears, pointing to defendant Daniel Davis and accusing him of drugging and raping her after promising to help her travel abroad. Her emotional testimony highlighted the scale of the case, which…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Day three of this mammoth human trafficking trial with 57 victims and 27 defendants started with more drama as three more defendants pleaded guilty Thursday, claiming they were victims who had been coerced into recruiting others. They made the admissions in a bid to win clemency from prosecutors…
