GOVERNMENT BEARS ‘BURDEN OF PROOF’ IN NEC BOSS’s ALLEGED CORRUPTION CASE
By: Judicial Correspondent
Liberia- February 28, 2022: The Government of Liberia is expected to produce evidences against the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Madam Davidetta Brown-Lassana for the crimes of
Of Predicate offense of Money Laundering, Insider Trading Manipulation, Conflict of Interest.
The trial is expected to begin Monday, March 6, 2022, at Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice before Judge T. Ciapha Carey.
During a pre-trial conference, government lawyers were asked for the production of evidence against Madam Brown-Lasanah on the charges levied against her, as such, Discovery of evidence will be done this Wednesday, March 2, 2022, meaning; prosecuting lawyers should provide what they are relying on.
Recently, the Commission indicted NEC Chairperson Madam Brown Lassanah for conflict of interest after she reportedly admitted to presiding over a NECโs bidding process that fraudulently awarded a contract to a Liberian business, Tuma Enterprise Incorporated. The monetary value of the contract is more than 182 thousand US dollars; and the company allegedly has a family tie to her.
According to the LACC, Mrs. Browne-Lansanah and the companyโs Vice President for Operations, David Browne are paternal half-siblings while Mr. Arnold Badio, owner, and incorporator of the company, is Mr. Browneโs maternal half-brother.
In an indictment, the LACC said the Chairperson is being prosecuted for violating Section 1.3.6, of the National Code of Conduct, which speaks against conflict of interest. In addition, she allegedly transgressed Part II, Section 2.2 of the LACC Act and section 15.3 of the Money laundering Act of 2012 while awarding a contract for the lease of 20 facial recognition thermometers at the total cost of US$182,320.
The NEC reportedly used the thermometers to monitor access and attendance for safe and efficient access control of personnel during the conduct of the November 2021 by elections held in Nimba, Bong, Grand Gedeh, and Bomi counties.
