By Lincoln G. Peters
APM Terminals Liberia has blamed the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) over the release of two containers in the US$100m drugs case, claiming LRA had said the container owners met a full obligation.
APM Terminals Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Emeka Ogbaje Esq. testified for his company at the ongoing trial at Criminal Court “C” Wednesday, 26 April 2023.
He said the containers were released on the instruction under the Delivery Privilege (DP) or point and go straight to the consignee.
On the witness stand, Mr. Ogbaje said the documents that APM Terminals received in the process of releasing the containers were from the shipping lines and the LRA.
He said the documents indicated that the owners of the containers had met their full obligation toward the shipping lines and the LRA.
The Criminal Court “C” is hearing a US$100m drug case after the substances were discovered in containers belonging to Lebanese conglomerate TRH Trading Corporation. The government cleared the company but charged several other suspects.
“I have in my hands, copies of the delivery order received [from] the shipping lines of the two containers,” Mr. Ogbaje said.
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“The second which relies on the instruction from the Liberia Revenue Authority is the custom system,” he added.
He detailed that upon receipt of the duty payment, APM Terminals also checks that the fees have been paid and loads the container on the truck before it goes to where it is designated.
“I have copies of the invoices of the payment made by the consignee of these containers,” he continued.
Defense counsels recently invited six institutions and individuals to testify in the ongoing US$100m case relating to cocaine discovered in TRH containers at the Freeport of Monrovia last year.
Based on the defense’s request, the Court subpoenaed the Management of APM Terminals Liberia, NewDawn Newspaper publisher Mr. Othello Garblah, Customs Brokers Association, Management of the Liberia Freeport Authority, Financial Intelligence Agencies, and the Anti-Smuggling Unit at the Freeport of Monrovia.
They are subpoenaed to produce documents and testify to what they know about the drug bust.
