By: Judicial Correspondent
Capitol Hill-Monrovia: Commercial Court has found Guaranty Trust -Bank (GT-Bank) Liberia Limited guilty for allegedly stealing of ten million Liberian dollars ($10M) and US$80,000.00 from the account of Charles Sirleaf, son of former Liberia Head of State Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Charles Sirleaf is also the Former Deputy Governor For Operations of the Central Bank of Liberia who was indicted by the government of Liberia in 2019 for missing monies and was later clear by the Court.
The Commercial Court through its Head Judge Eva Morgan Mappy on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, ruled that a prime fasci case was established by Charles Sirleaf legal team as such, the court held the bank liable for all withdrawal from Sirleaf’s account.
Judge Mappy ruled mandating the bank to paid over one million united states dollars and LR$13 million dollars towards punitive and general damages.
The Commercial Court Chief Judge further instructed the Bank to restitute the full amount stolen from Sirleaf’s account as well as portion of the above mentioned amount in damages before taking an appeal at the level of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
The restitution according to that honorable Court should be done in an escrol-account while in the process of taking an appeal to the High Court.
It can be recalled, four (4) months ago, Mr. Charles E. Sirleaf filed a complaint to the Liberia National Police that his United States Dollars and Liberian Dollars accounts at the GT Bank were tempered with, thereby resulting in the disappearance of US$850,000 and L$10M respectively.
Additionally, the SMS alert that is used by the bank to inform Mr. Sirleaf about any deposit and withdrawals from his accounts were disconnected, making it impossible for him to know about activities affecting his accounts.
The Police immediately launched a detailed criminal investigation where several persons were invited including Andrea Duobah, the GT Bank staff who Mr. Sirleaf entrusted to act as his account officer in terms of his banking activities with the bank.
This led to two GT Bank employees (Andrea Duobah and Genesis Davis), being charged with Misapplication of Entrusted Property, Theft of Property, Forgery, Criminal Facilitation, Criminal Conspiracy. The pair has been forwarded to the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.