Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court’s Ruling, Ups Convicts’ Prison Terms

Liberian Chief Justice Francis Korkpor

The Supreme Court has increased the jail terms of three persons and ordered the restitution of monies stolen by them in a case involving the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia.

Criminal Court “C” had found Patrick Konuwa, Fahn Borbor and Rebeah Annous guilty of economic sabotage, theft of property and money laundering as well as criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation and sentenced to separate periods of imprisonment.

The convicts, who were employees of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, are said to have tampered with the administrative password of the finance section of the hospital to transfer varying amounts of money into their personal accounts at banks in Monrovia.

The high court’s reversed ruling to the lower court increased the five years sentence of Konuwa to nine years, ordering that he resituates US$13,323.91 and L$15,807,094.40, while Borbor will pay back US$55, 049.28 and L$1,045,000.

As for defendant James Ricks, his sentence has been increased to 8 years and ordered to pay back US$4,900 plus L$15,774,000.

Co-defendant Armous is sentenced to one year in prison and is to pay a fine of US$8,000 as a deterrent, while co-defendants Thomas O. Mezzeh and Benjamin Wlay Dorgbeh, are sentenced to six years-and-a-half and Mezzeh is to restituteUS$8,52,5, while Wlay Dorgbeh is to pay back US$19,218.

The high court noted in its ruling on the sentences of imprisonment imposed on the co-defendants and the appellants Konuwa, Borbor and Annous shall reflect the period of imprisonment already served.

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