MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Criminal Court ‘A’ has reaffirmed and confirmed the unanimous ‘guilty’ verdict against five female traffickers with a twenty-year jail sentence each.
Halimatu Duramy, Grace Sesay, Henrietta Beayce, and Famata Doe, reportedly recruited and transported fourteen minors through deception to Mali before they were rescued and transported back to Liberia.
Additional facts indicated that the five defendants also decided to traffic the minors to Burkina Faso after they came back to Liberia, intending to exploit them to get resettlement packages from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Judge Roosevelt Willie’s March 22 final judgement instructed the Gender Ministry to take custody of the fourteen children and provide them all the necessary care.
According to the ruling, such care will continue until their biological parents or relatives are determined.
But in response, prosecuting lawyers argued that the allegations cannot serve as a motion for change of venue, describing them as mere speculation intended to mislead the Court.
Prosecution argued that the motion for change of venue should have been incorporated within the Bill of Information with exhibits attached and served on the adversary party to give them adequate time to respond.
Having listened to both parties, Judge Roosevelt Willie denied the motion, stating that the specific ground relied upon by the Defence is insufficient to warrant the transfer of the case to another county.
Judge Willie then ordered the case proceed with after the defendant pleaded not guilty and rescheduled the case for today, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:45 am.
At the same time, a man identified as Francis Nana, who allegedly killed a police officer in the Vai Town Community last year, has pleaded not guilty to his charge.
Defendant Nana’s legal team also asked the Court for a change of venue during his trial, citing some alleged unprofessional conduct of the security.
They claimed that their client was paraded on live cameras led by the police, as if he were already guilty of the crime.
Defence lawyers asserted that the protestors created undue public sentiment against their defendant, Francis Nana, who, according to the law, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Defence Lawyer, Atty. Jeremiah Dougbah argued that the action of the joint security has substantially impaired the conduct of a fair and impartial trial in keeping with the Criminal Procedure Law.