Kailondo charged negligent homicide

Businessman turned evangelist Atty. George Kailondo is facing multiplecharges of negligent homicide and recklessly endangering anotherperson’s life, exactly nine months after his friend Mr. Daniel Orogun, former Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank Liberia drowned in Januaryduring a boat ride.

The Nigerian banker Mr. Orogun’s lifeless body was found in the water on 26January this year, about two days after he went missing on Sunday, 24January while he and his wife and three children were riding on a boatbeing piloted by businessman Atty. George Kailondo on the Junk Riverin Margibi County.

Kailondo’s lawyers filed a criminal appearance bond at the Monrovia CityCourt on Monday, 24 October to secure his release just after the Courtgranted the City Solicitor’s request for continuance in the case.

Police investigators say“the boatFL-6853-NV-Regal, in which Mr. Orogunwas riding on 24 January 2016,belongs to Kailondo.” The police say there was “no safety jacket on the boat at the time ofthe incident or on any of the occupants in the boat on 24 January2016.”

Investigators alleged that Kailondo interfered withthe crime scene by placing a safety jacket on the boat to confuse theinvestigation, after an initial visit at the time of the accident had established that there were no safety jackets on the boat.

Police investigators further alleged that Kailondo and victim Orogun allegedly drankalcoholic beverages prior to the boat ride, saying the three glasses used and the cooler containing the drinks were foundin the boat.

Mr. Kailondo had told investigators that he had known thelate Orogun forover four years, before the deceased called him viamobile phone to express interest in bringing his family at his(Kailondo’s) residence for a boat ride in the Junk River.

But the conflict between defendant Kailondo’s account and the accountof Mrs. Isiont Vivian Orogun is that while the widow blames him for doing “a sharp turn” that allegedly caused her husband to fall off theboat, Mr. Kailondo argues that he did not move excessively to have caused Orogun to flip in the river.

Mr. Kailondo argued that he had made a turn and cut off the boat’sengine and jumped into the river after Mrs. Orogun alarmed that herhusband was in the river. However, earlier before the boat ride, Kailondo told police investigatorsthat on 20 January, the late Orogun had called him to his office, telling him of a group of unnamedjournalists that allegedly received US$20,000 from him (Orogun) to refrain from the publications of damaging information about Guaranty Trust Bank.

Kailondo further told police thatOrogun told him thatanother group of journalists were still demanding US$100,000 from him(Orogun) surrounding the same information for which a first batch ofjournalists had allegedly collected US$20,000.

The police investigation gathered from defendant Kailondo that the name Musa Sackol Voice FM [and] cell number (withheld) was given to him(Kailondo) to intervene. Kailondo said he did intervene, allegedly making payment of US$19,500to journalist Musa Sackol and allegedly begged him that they should leave his friend Orogun. Kailondo told the investigation that afterMusa had received the money, he said he was going to consult his partners.

Police Spokesman DCP Sam Collins said in a release thatKailondo “failed to provide any documentation to prove whether or nothe met any regulations of the Liberia Maritime Authority, referencingthe possession and operations of his boat in the country.”

He said with the exception of Daniel Orogun’sdeath;Kailondo’s alleged reckless actions also endangered the lives of theother occupants that were on the boat to include the wife and childrenof the deceased. It is not known when the case will be assigned for hearing at the Monrovia City Court. 

By Winston W. Parley