MONROVIA, Montserrado – Criminal Court C has acquitted suspended National Housing Authority officials of multiple offenses brought against them by the government, including bribery.

The not guilty verdict reached by Judge Blamo Dixon was based on what he termed as a failure on the government’s part to prove their case “beyond all reasonable doubt.” He said there was no evidence presented to prove that the defendants received bribes.

“The indictment against the defendant is fatally defective; therefore, the said defendants are hereby acquitted, set free and discharged from further answering to the alleged multiple offenses levied against them,” Dixon ruled.

Duannah Siryon, Tugbeh C. Tugbe, Isaac Roberts, and Augustine Weah were suspended and later charged with bribery, theft of property, misapplication of entrusted property, criminal conspiracy, and criminal facilitation.

The government alleged that in 2018, Siryon was contacted through a Burkina Faso-based company, GELPAZ-IMMO, that had expressed interest in constructing over 5,000 housing units along the Roberts International Airport Highway.

The prosecution said the actual work that should have been carried out by the company was undercut by the defendants receiving US$80,000 out of US$92,000 sent to the country on two separate occasions. In court, Siryon denied these allegations.

The indictment said defendants Siryon, Tugbeh, Roberts, and Weah had conspired and colluded to dupe the company and defraud the government by compromising on the value for money work principle.

The court has now set the defendants free from every allegation brought the defendants in the indictment by government.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah