By Staff Writer
MONROVIA – The Supreme Court of Liberia has affirmed the convictions of five former government officials in a long-running forestry fraud case involving an estimated US$6 million loss to the Government of Liberia through the issuance of illegal forestry permits.
Those convicted are former Forestry Development Authority (FDA) Managing Director Moses Wogbeh, former Technical Manager John Kanto, former Commercial Forestry Manager Janger Kamara, former Grand Bassa County Surveyor David Blayee, and former Director of Cartography at the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, Maxwell Gwee.
Judiciary records show that the case has been before the Supreme Court on appeal since the October 2016 Term.
In its ruling delivered on Thursday, August 27, the Supreme Court upheld the defendants’ convictions on multiple charges, including economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, forgery and counterfeiting, obtaining and issuing deceptive writings, and obstruction of government functions by public servants.
The High Court also affirmed the sentence imposed by the lower court, ordering each defendant to serve one year in prison and pay a fine of US$10,000.
Additionally, the Supreme Court instructed the trial court to immediately enforce its mandate, effectively bringing the years-long appellate process to a close.
The case stems from Liberia’s controversial Private Use Permit (PUP) scandal, which sparked national and international concern over the management of the country’s forestry sector during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Government-backed investigations into the PUP system uncovered widespread irregularities in the issuance of forestry permits and raised allegations of fraud, manipulation of official records, and abuse of public office.
The Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant conclusion to one of Liberia’s most prominent forestry-related corruption cases, reinforcing accountability for public officials accused of abusing government authority in the management of the nation’s natural resources.
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