MONROVIA, Montserrado – Bishop P. Manasseh Conto, the senior pastor of New Kru Town’s Mission for Today Holy Church, and his Assistant Pastor Steven Kettor were sent to the Monrovia Central Prison for multiple criminal offenses.

The two defendants were arrested on Friday, June 3, 2016, after being indicted by the grand jury of Montserrado County a day before for theft of property and misappropriation of entrusted property, a felony of the third degree.

Another individual only identified as “Smith” in the indictment is yet to be apprehended by the court for prosecution.

Bishop Manasseh Conto near the court. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Conto and Kettor were ordered incarcerated by Judge Emery Paye after failing to file a valid criminal appearance bond to secure their release.

According to the indictment, defendant Kettor was in July 2014 employed by Korean national and CEO Hungchi Choi as General Manager of the Korea Trading Corporation, vehicle sales and rental company.

Hungchi Choi, Executive Officer, Korea Trading Corporation Liberia Limited Photo Zeze Ballah

The indictment noted that during the outbreak of Ebola in the Liberia, Hungchi left the country for South Korea and left Kettor in charge of the company with 31 vehicles.

Kettor, with collaboration from Conto, allegedly commercialized 14 of the company’s vehicles without authorization and sold five, generating US$155,930. Of this amount, Kettor apparently only reported US$38,846 to the company. The indictment also claimed that Kettor underpriced the five vehicles sold, noting “the company lost a total of US$13,200.

Pastor Steven Kettor as he entered the prison compound. Photo: Zeze Ballah

The indictment further stated that Conto and Kettor had created a company which was used to enter into vehicle rental contract with the World Food Program for US$18,445 monthly over a five-month period. The defendants are also alleged to have entered a contract with the United States Marines to provide two pick-up trucks belonging to the company. In both cases, they only provided a fraction of the amount they earned from the contracts.

An individual can be found guilty of misapplication of entrusted property if he or she “uses or transfers any interest in property which has been entrusted to him as a fiduciary” in a way that is unauthorized or involves a risk to the owner of the property, according to the indictment.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah