Senator faces arrest

State prosecutors are requesting a court order to “re-arrest” Grand Kru County Senator Albert T. Chie, in resistance to a bail bond he filed with Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia that state lawyers say is “grossly inadequate.”

The newly elected Grand Kru Senator, who succeeded retired former Senator Cletus Wortorson, is indicted, along with several former board members of the National Oil Company of Liberia or NOCAL on multiple charges of economic sabotage- a felony of the first degree, bribery and conspiracy.

But prosecutors are challenging a separate bond filed by co-defendant Senator Chie’s surety- the Sky International Insurance Corporation, on grounds that the bond was insufficient, specifically

referencing the surety’s bank balance of “LRD3,019320.57” in January 2013 to be grossly inadequate.

Mr. Chie, now Senator and co-indictees- former NOCAL Board Chairman Clemenceau Urey, Sr., former NOCAL President, Dr. Fodee Kromah, former Education Minister D. Evelyn Kandakai, Cllr. Stephen B. Dumbar, Jr., Peter B. Jallah, Jr., former comptroller Fulton Reeves and former Senior Accountant Timothy G. Wiaplah, are facing claims of willfully defrauding government of US$120,400 between May 2006 to May 2007.

Another ex-official listed in the indictment is a former member of the 52nd Legislature Alomiza Innos-Bah.

Excluding the insurance company’s bail bond filed in favor of Senator Chie on 28 February, 2015, the state lawyers are also raising alarm that the company has allegedly filed numerous bail bonds to secure the release of many party defendants amounting to US$14,551,311.00 plus L$72,000.00, while such cases are still pending before other courts here.

“…The Bail Bond posted in favor of Co-defendant Albert T. Chie is utterly defective for it lacks any security that will guarantee the fulfillment of the conditions of the said Bail Bond,” the state said in its exception to Mr. Chie’s Bond.

The state concluded by asking the court to set aside the bond and order the “re-arrest” of the defendant “until the surety can remedy the defects in the contested bail bond.

The indictment claims that the indicted ex-officials engaged in solicitation, payment and receipt of money for the alleged purpose of ratifying oil contracts entered into by NOCAL and several oil companies by the 52nd Legislature.

By Winston W. Parley