Journalism

Two Defendants Deny Charges as Second Witness Corroborates Security Visit, Claims Vice President’s Guards Didn’t “Bother Anybody” at Compound at Heart of Case

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…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Defendant in Largest Human Trafficking Trial Denies Charges, Claims Vice President’s Security Inspected Compound at Center of Case as Court Orders Site Visit

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. •…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Accused Trafficker Denies Charges, Says He Was Legally Recruiting Victims to Sell Products for Malaysian Firm Qnet

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…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Emergency Childbirth Fees Push Poor Families to Fundraise During Labor, Leading to Death and Injury

In Liberia, many women in labor face life-threatening delays because hospitals demand upfront payments for emergency procedures. Families are often forced to leave the hospital mid-delivery to raise funds, a desperate situation that has led to mothers dying or suffering severe complications while waiting for care. The practice underscores the devastating impact of poverty and…

Fatu Kamara
Video

Taxed Into Shame: Ghana Gives Free Pads, Liberian Girls Cut Up Diapers

In Liberia, many schoolgirls are forced to cut baby diapers in half or use cloth during their periods because sanitary pads are taxed at 30 percent, making them unaffordable. While Ghana has already taken bold steps to provide free pads to schoolgirls, Liberia’s proposed bill to remove taxes on menstrual products remains stalled in committee,…

Joyclyn Wea
Video

Government Announces Probe of Allegations of Bribery in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial

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…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Global Conflict, Local Crisis: Rising Prices Hit Liberia’s Market Women

In Monrovia, market women say rising prices are making it harder to survive — with fewercustomers and shrinking profits. As the US/Israeli standoff with Iran continues to block as much as 20 percent of the globalsupply of fuel and fertilizer, experts warn worse is yet to come. In this collaboration with New Narratives, Tetee Gebro…

Tetee Gebro
Radio

Witness Leaves the Stand to Identify Defendants One by One, Recounts Abuse and Calls Them ‘Wicked People’ in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial

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…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

In Stunning Development Accused Trafficker Pleads Guilty, Testifies Against Co-Defendants in Country’s Largest Trafficking Trial

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…

Anthony Stephens
Video

Three More Defendants Plead Guilty in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial

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…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Liberia’s War Crimes Push Revives as Boakai Receives Draft Laws After

President Joseph Boakai has now received draft laws that could pave the way for theprosecution of atrocities committed during the country’s brutal civil wars.But beneath the ceremony and symbolism lies a fierce struggle over funding, politics andaccountability — one that could determine whether Liberia finally confronts its violent past ordelays justice once again.In this collaboration…

Anthony Stephens
Radio

Rights Chief Faults Country on Corruption as U.N. Justice Training

Liberia’s human rights chief is warning that corruption is not just a governance problem — but athreat to justice and human rights.The warning comes as the United Nations begins training prosecutors and investigators to handlecorruption cases in a new way to investigate and try corruption cases for the new anticorruption andeconomic crimes courts set to…

Anthony Stephens
Radio

In Stunning Development Accused Trafficker Pleads Guilty, Testifies Against Co-Defendants in Country’s Largest Trafficking Trial

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives A stunning turn in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial unfolded Wednesday as one of the 12 defendants pleaded guilty and took the stand against her co-defendants. Moments before proceedings resumed in the morning, Shelley Jonny, dressed in a blue prison uniform, moved from the dock to address the…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

In First Day of Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial, Victim Breaks Down During Testimony and Identifies Alleged Rapist

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: One of 57 alleged victims in the country’s largest human-trafficking case broke down during her testimony in open court, crying as she described how the man she identified—Daniel Davis—raped her after putting a drug in her drink in one of the trial’s most dramatic opening moments. After…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Jury Selection Begins in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial as Defendants Plead Not Guilty

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: Jury selection began Monday in what prosecutors and anti-trafficking advocates describe as Liberia’s largest human trafficking case, nine months after victims, some of the country’s poorest citizens, first filed complaints against the accused perpetrators. Prosecutors and defense lawyers screened prospective jurors at Criminal Court “A” at…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa