Indictees Convicted, but Court Suspends

Some employees of the government – run John F. Kennedy Medical Center and their conspirators have been found guilty at the end of an economic sabotage trial, but the Judge of the court suspended all of the penalties to the dismay of the prosecution.

Those with the highest penalties in the case received three year- imprisonment sentences, with court order to restitute certain amounts, while lesser penalties included eight, six, four month- imprisonments and another with one month sentence to perform community service.

The Prosecutors appeared to receive the ruling on Monday, 26 September with much unhappiness over fears that precedent would not be set to boost corruption fight, as they announced appeal against Judge Emery S. Paye’s sentences.

Convicts Patrick Konuwah, RebeahArnusFahn F. Borbor, Thomas O. Mezzeh, Benjamin W. Dargbeh, and Thomas G. Telewoyan were found guilty by the Criminal Court after several months of trial for economic sabotage, theft of property, money laundering, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation.

The convicts were not immediately committed to prison, but the court gave each of them separate periods to what they were being held for, ranging from one year to eight months, six months and four months, while the penalties remain suspended.

More than 15 persons were indicted by the government for allegedly diverting into their personal uses more than LRD$16m and over US$126,000 of insurance payments intended for the cash –

stripped JFK referral hospital. The convicts’ ringleader- Patrick Konuwah, was sentenced to three year-imprisonment for economic sabotage and ordered to restitute US$13,323.91 and LD$15,807,916.4 within one year. 

Defendant RebeahArnus was guilty of criminal facilitation and sentenced to perform one month community service; while defendant Fahn F. Borbor was guilty of theft of property, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation and sentenced to three years and given one year to restitute US$55,049.28 and LD$1,045,000.00.

Defendant Thomas O. Mezzeh was guilty of theft of property and sentenced to six month-imprisonment with an order to restitute US$8,525 within six months; while defendant Benjamine W. Dargbeh was guilty of theft of property with one year-imprisonment and ordered to restitute US$19,218.50 within eight months.

Defendant Thomas G. Telewoyan was also guilty for theft of property and sentenced to four month-imprisonment and ordered to restitute US$3,054 within four months. Beside those convicted by the court Monday, 26 September, others listed in the indictment include Boakai J. Varney, James Ricks, Lethia W. Waleh, Prince Jallah and his wife Grace Dolly Jallah, John Fred
Kennedy, Jerry D. Morlu, Ballah Holmes and John Freeman Kennedy.

Some of the indictees were not seen in court during the trial, but others entered a plea bargaining. 

By Winston W. Parley