Darlington George finally jailed

The dismissed former Deputy Director of the elite Executive Protection Service or EPS, Mr. Darlington George has been jailed at the Monrovia Central Prison ‘until he shall have [filed] a valid criminal appearance bond’ with Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice.

Also jailed along with Mr. George is junior EPS Officer James Tamba – an aide to him. The case which has drawn the attention of women advocates and public interest here since victim Esther Glain was allegedly brutalized in an encounter with defendants George and Tamba, was on Thursday

transferred from Barnersville to Criminal Court “A” in Monrovia for hearing.

Mr. George, who last served in the police as Assistant Director for Operations before being appointed by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as second-in-command in the elite presidential guard force – the EPS, faces a charge of alleged “criminal facilitation,” while his junior officer, defendant Tamba faces ‘aggravated assault’.

The court committed both officers to jail Thursday due to their failure to immediately file their insurance bonds categorized based on the weight of the crimes – ranging from US$1,000 bond for defendant George and US$5,000 for defendant Tamba.

“Failure on the part of the defendants to file the insurance bond now, the court has no alternative, but to order the clerk of court to issue a commitment and have the defendants sent to the Monrovia Central Prison until they shall have filed a valid bond with sufficient sureties and witnesses,” Presiding Judge A. Blamo Dixon ruled yesterday.

The court also instructed that the insurance bonds could be obtained from any insurance company, and that the court could not name a particular insurance company, except that it would accept the bonds from any insurance company operating under the laws of the Republic of Liberia and meet the requirement of the Central Bank of Liberia.

The court desscribed aggravated assault against defendant Tamba as a felony of the second degree tantamount to a penalty of imprisonment for a period of five years. The court demanded the US$5,000 BIND bond from James Tamba and an insurance bond or property valuation statement bond, respectively.

As to the case of co-defendant T. Darlingto George, who faces ‘criminal facilitation’, Judge Dixon said aggravated assault being a felony of the second degree, [the facilitation of such crime] it “becomes a misdemeanor of the first degree.”

The court, then, demanded a US$1,000 bond from defendant George and an insurance bond also or property valuation statement bond. They were formally acquainted their constitutional rights, even though the court said the defendants knew their rights under the law as its prerogative.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by George Barpeen