By Amos Harris
Monrovia, Liberia —In a dramatic legal twist and a landmark stance against alleged corruption, the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court has ordered the immediate arrest and detention of several former high-ranking Liberian government officials for their alleged roles in the disappearance of a 53.34-carat diamond.
Judge J. Boima Kontoe declared that a “criminal cartel” was responsible for the scandal, which centers on the diamond’s seizure and subsequent handling. The ruling names prominent figures and mandates their immediate imprisonment until the gemstone is accounted for.
Prominent Figures Ordered Arrested
The court’s ruling, issued following a Supreme Court mandate to investigate legal irregularities, targets both former officials and individuals linked to the diamond trade:
- Cllr. Frank Musa Dean: Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General
- Gesler Murray: Former Minister of Mines and Energy
- Mustapha Tounkara: President, Diamond Dealers Association
- Korvah Baykah, James Biaku, Emmanuel T.J. Saye: Individuals linked to the appraisal, certification, and sale of the diamond
Network of Collusion and Secrecy
Judge Kontoe’s findings concluded that the entire process—including appraisal, certification, and sale under the Kimberly Process—was conducted with a profound lack of transparency and proper documentation. The court determined that the process was improperly influenced by the Attorney General’s opinion.
The ruling vividly described the case as involving “a network of a criminal cartel knitted in the author of connivance, secrecy and collusion.”
The judge stressed that it was “highly unlikely” the valuable diamond could have vanished without the involvement of these high-level officials and those connected to the industry.
Imprisonment until the Diamond is Found
In a bold move aimed at breaking the culture of impunity surrounding illicit gemstone dealings, the court issued a stern ultimatum.
The ruling mandates that the named individuals must be arrested and jailed at Monrovia Central Prison unless they can account for the diamond’s whereabouts.
“They shall have been arrested and detained at the Monrovia Central Prison until they shall have found, answered, and detained the Monrovia question,” the ruling declared.
The decision is widely viewed as a critical step by Liberia’s judiciary to enforce accountability and transparency within the nation’s crucial natural resources sector.
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