Defendants Johnson and Samukai (dressed in coat suits) leaving the courtroom of Criminal Court ‘C’ -With conditional six months to restitute significant portion of the US$1,147,656.35 stolen out of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) Retirement Funds
Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay on Thursday, April 23 sentenced two of the three defendants that include former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai and former deputy minister for administration Joseph P. Johnson to two years in prison each for stealing US$1,147,656.35 out of the account of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) at the Ecobank- Liberia.
The remaining co-defendant, former comptroller, James Nyumah Dorkor, received six-month jail sentence.
Meanwhile, the court suspended the prison sentence on Thursday with a condition that they would restitute significant portion of the money within the period of six-months and pay the balance within another six-months.
The AFL’s account was opened under the signatures of Co-defendant Brownie J. Samukai, Jr., former Minister of National Defense as “signatory A” and Defendant J. Nyumah Dorkor, former Comptroller of the Ministry of National Defense as “Signatory B” and Defendant Joseph P. Johnson, former Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Defense also as “signatory A.”
In his sentencing ruling, Gbeisay said both co-defendants, Samukai and Johnson may likely escape their two-years prison term only if they agree to pay significant amount of that money within a period of six-months, even-though the matter is pending appeal before the Supreme Court, shortly after the defense lawyers rejected the initial guilty verdict against them by the court.
Gbeisay continued: “Samukai and Johnson are hereby sentenced to common prison for a period of two (2) years each and that the said sentence is suspended, provided they elected to restitute the whole or substantial amount of the judgment sum within six (6) months and the balance stipulated to be restituted within 12 months, as of the ruling, failure which they shall serve the full two years.”
For Dorkor, whose guilty verdict is challenged also at the Supreme Court, Gbeisay ruled that Dorkor is going to get six (6) months imprisonment due to his role in the commission of the crimes and his physical health condition.
“If Dorkor elected to reserve the right to the privacy of his health status, this court considers his physical condition and his minor role in the commission of the crimes, [he] is hereby sentenced to six (6) months imprisonment, which six months sentence is suspended, provided […]
