GW indictees’ bank statements in court

Nearly all commercial banks here that were ordered by the Criminal Court “C” to produce statements on past and present indicted officials accused by Global Witness of receiving bribes from U.K. – based Sable Mining have cooperated, submitting their responses to court.

Indictees in the case include former Speaker Alex Tyler and former chairman of the ruling Unity Party Sen. H. Varney G. Sherman, and several others accused by Global Witness of allegedly receiving bribes from U.K. –based Sable Mining to secure a mining contract.
Prosecutors asked the court last year for a subpoena of all bank statements of the indictees; while one of the indictees former Speaker Tyler was also seeking all species of evidence held against him in the case.
The Clerk of Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, Mr. Knowles Shain told The NewDawnon Tuesday, 3 January that prosecutors have complied with the defendant’s request, while also saying the court submits documents to the prosecution upon receipt from banks subpoenaed in the case.

There were a total of eight subpoenaed banks, but the Clerk said only the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) failed to comply within the 72 hours mandate from the court, leaving the court to serve the bank a writ on Tuesday to serve as deterrence.

Banking information of the defendants were requested from Afriland Bank; Access Bank; GN Bank [formerly First International Bank]; United Bank of Africa (UBA); Global Bank; Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI); Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) and Ecobank Liberia Limited, respectively.

The banks were ordered to produce bank statements for Sherman and Sherman Inc; Deltal Mining Consolidated (Pty) Ltd; Sable Mining; West Africa Exploration and H. Varney G. Sherman. Others were Willie Belleh; Richard Tolbert; Morris Saytumah; Cletus Wortorson; Sumo Kupee; Henry Fahnbulleh, Ernest C.B. Jones and Christopher Onanuga.

Former Speaker Tyler and Sen. Sherman were two of several high profile officials indicted by the government based on a Global Witness report implicating them into alleged economic sabotage.

By Winston W. Parley-Editing by Jonathan Browne