Liberia Saudi rice corruption trial

Overview

A high-profile corruption trial in Liberia regarding the misappropriation of humanitarian rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has resulted in several convictions.

The case involved 29,412 bags of rice intended for disaster relief. Prosecutors alleged that approximately 25,054 bags, valued between US$425,918 and US$500,000, were diverted from authorized distribution channels.

Initial reports indicated that five officials, including former Internal Affairs Minister Varney A. Sirleaf and National Disaster Management Agency officials, were convicted. At that stage, two defendants were acquitted, and a hung verdict was reached regarding certain charges against former Foreign Affairs Minister D. Maxwell Saah Kemayah.

Subsequent reports clarified that a jury at Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia returned guilty verdicts against eight defendants, including former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah. The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) characterized the verdicts as a milestone for the protection of public resources in Liberia.

Entities

National Disaster Management Agency · Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah · Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce · Liberia

Timeline

1 day ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Liberian officials convicted in Saudi rice corruption case
Eight defendants, including two former Liberian ministers, have been found guilty of misappropriating US$500,000 worth of Saudi Arabian rice donated for disaster relief.
4 days ago

[CRIME] 4 sources
Liberia corruption trial: Five officials convicted in Saudi rice case
Five former Liberian officials were convicted in a corruption trial involving the misappropriation of Saudi-donated humanitarian rice, while a jury deadlocked on charges against former Foreign Minister Kemayah.

Sources

frontpageafricaonline.com · liberianewsnetwork.com · liberianinvestigator.com · smartnewsliberia.com · verityonlinenews.com