MONROVIA – In the ongoing economic sabotage case involving Edmond Massaquoi, an IT Technician at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), and several co-defendants, the defense has filed a motion seeking to strike the government’s criminal appearance bond, citing multiple procedural errors and violations of statutory deadlines.
Defendants Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis, former CEO of NOCAL, Richmond Jallah, Financial Comptroller, and Edmond Massaquoi face charges including economic sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue of the country, and illegal disbursement of funds.
According to court documents, Massaquoi’s legal team argues that the prosecution violated Section 63.5(1), Chapter 63 of the Civil Procedure Law by serving the criminal appearance bond and objections four days after filing, exceeding the statutory three-day deadline. “The sole purpose of a Criminal Appearance Bond is to ensure the presence of the Defendant as and when required by the Court,” the defense motion reads. It adds that the prosecution has failed to demonstrate that the bond meets legal standards for sufficiency, justification, and legitimacy.
The motion further claims that the government improperly attached the bond to the wrong defendant, rendering it legally irrelevant. It also alleges that both the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the prosecution failed to present the bond’s surety for verification and neglected to file proof of service of their exceptions within the proper time frame.
“This is a gross violation of mandatory procedural requirements. The entire process is tainted and must be set aside,” the motion concludes.
