The accused were charged on Tuesday, February 20, by Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia for allegedly stealing the money from the Coca-Cola Company’s bank accounts.
According to the indictment, defendants George Paye, accounts manager; Emmanuel Tyler, settlement accountant; Sam Oyee, sale supervisor; and Tonia Kparteh, cash officer, were recording on the company’s books more than the actual payments made into the company’s accounts on behalf of the two supermarkets. The funds were also not recorded in the official receipt books.
The defendants have also been charged with destroying journals showing payments and falsely indicating credits for customers who have no credit records with the company.
According to the court indictment, the managements of the UN Drive and Exclusive Supermarkets conspired and facilitated the commission of the crime.
The defendants, who are on cash bonds, pleaded not guilty to the crime, claiming that they have no knowledge concerning the allegation.
However, at Tuesday’s hearing, Criminal Court “C” Judge, Blamo Dixion, acquitted five other employees of LCCBC from the charges to serve as state witnesses.
The charges included misapplication of entrusted property, criminal conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
Those acquitted were Emmanuel Wieh, Eddie Davids, Chris Freeman, George Grant and William Toe.
They were initially indicted for said crimes before the state opted to drop charges against them.
Judge Dixion also ordered the LCCBC management to reinstate the employees with all of their due benefits.
The indictment, prepared by the prosecution, said that during and between the period January 1, 2010 up to and including November 30, 2010, co-defendants George Paye, being the ring leader in the commission of the crime, and with the full knowledge that he (George Paye) was treading a dangerous path, issued payment clearance certificates to customers, including Exclusive Supermarket.
The indictment said the crime falsely indicated that the supermarket had no liability to LCCBC.
The indictment also indicated that co-defendant; George Paye was constantly performing the issuing of clearance certificates in favor of the supermarket management.
The indictment also said that on July 8, 2010, Paye, for the purpose of deception and in line with the conspiracy, issued a receipt to the UN Drive Supermarket, evidencing the receipt of US$31,317.54 as payment for canned products from the company.
The receipt, the indictment disclosed, was issued on LCCBC letterhead, which runs contrary to the company’s policy of issuing official receipts for a pre-printed receipt book.
George Paye, the indictment said, on the same day, issued receipts for two other payments to the company by the UN Drive Supermarket in the amounts of US$29,668.50 and US$3,906.55 respectively, totaling US$33,575.50.
“Co-defendant Paye, with other-co defendants, in their individual capacities performed to the full knowledge and consent of the conspiracy jointly conspired and facilitated to and did rob the company of the US1.8 million,” added the indictment.
Following the release of the other-co-defendants, defense lawyer, Atty. Arthur Johnson, pleaded with the court not to exonerate them, as the prosecution had recommended, but his appeal was rejected by the court.
Atty. Johnson argued that acquitting the other defendants was not in the best interest of justice.
He stressed that the acquitted employees have the propensity to be bribed by the prosecution, an argument that was also rejected by Judge Dixion.
The case was adjourned until Tuesday, February 27, 2012.
