Trial begins in LoneStar Cell MTN case

Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has commenced hearing into a case against indicted Lone Star Cell MTN employee Suzette A. Blake, following her indictment for misapplication of US$66,000 and L$449,515.00.

The indictment against Suzette said while she was serving as Regional Sales Supervisor charged with responsibilities to supply stores, gas stations, pharmacies and bus stops with electronic mobile money and stocks, she allegedly converted the proceeds into her personal use.

Taking the witness stand Tuesday, 30 August, first State witness Elvis O. Cephas testified that defendant Suzette’s role as Regional Sales Supervisor required that his (Cephas’) section issued out stocks to the defendant for the purpose of trading and reporting the proceeds to his section.

Witness Cephas said a subsequent accounting and management of both stock and cash are carried out – a process which, he said, required the former issuance of stock through stock requisition form.

He said the form outlines the description of the stock, quantity being requested for the signature of the requester, the signature of the account manager, in this case, Mr. Cephas and the signature of the stock issuer.

In February 2015, witness Cephas said his office received the last report from Defendant Suzette, accompanied by the deposit slips ascertaining the figure of the sales. “After this report was submitted, we made numerous, verbal interventions as the remaining stock accountability,” witness Cephas said, adding that these inventions were made at some point in time with defendant Suzette and another time with her manager.

Witness Cephas said “in our mind,” the delay in reporting trusted stock could somehow damage the trusted stock that the company had given defendant Suzette and get her equated with some

investigated issue in the future.

But he told the court that after these interventions did not yield the anticipated result, “we formalized our action” through a formal mail to the defendant’s manager, complaining that verbal intervention made regarding the report did not get the anticipated result. However, he told the court that after formalizing their action through mail, they did not get any response from defendant Suzette’s manager until the end of July when another incident concerning financial services code named “Mobile Money” [occurred].

The witness identified the report and other instruments introduced by the prosecutors in court and marked by the court. The Trial was suspended Tuesday to recommence today, Wednesday at 1:30pm.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by George Barpeen