Ex-Rebel Gen. Ophoree Diah Arrested for US$65K Theft

Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Ophoree Diah

Former General of the disbanded Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Ophoree Diah, made his first court appearance in connection with charges against him involving theft of property, misapplication of entrusted property and unauthorized use of vehicle.

Defendant Diah, according to the investigative report of the Liberian National Police (LNP), claimed that Diah was charged when the defendant deliberately and illegally took possession of a White 2019 Howo Sino Dump Truck, valued US$65,000, believed to be owned by Madam Lucretia Trunquist (complainant).

At his first proceedings on Tuesday, July 13 at the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice, since defendant Diah's arrest on July 8, the defendant was released unto his lawyer hours after being placed on the criminal bench by Magistrate Jomah Jallah.

It is unclear as to what necessitated Magistrate Jomah Jallah's decision to release Diah, although the truck in question was never produced in the court after the defendant's release.

According to court documents, the vehicle registration documents and the hand-to-hand bill of sale for the White 2019 Howo Sino Dump Truck was obtained from the Ministry of Transport and the Evergreen Import and Export Corporation, the dealer of the truck carried the name of Lucretia Trunquist as owner, “thus giving her the title to the vehicle,” the Investigation said, establishing the ownership.

The court records further said, the US$65,000 paid for the truck was wired from the Lucretia Trunquist account domiciled at Minnco Credit Union in the US, where Lucretia lives.

The money was later transferred to the account of Cllr. Roosevelt Gould, domiciled at the Ecobank Liberia, for the truck which defendant Diah is allegedly trying to illegally take ownership of.

Police claimed that in 2020, Madam Turnquist wired to Liberia over US$65,000 to one Counselor Roosevelt Gould to purchase a dump truck for her.

Prior to wiring the money, the court document claims that Cllr. Gould had been introduced by defendant Diah and a female identified as Ellen Corkrun to Lucretia as their legal representative.

Gould, the record said, was hired to draft an Article of Incorporation for a company that was to be established as Wolf David Inc, wherein defendant Diah was expected to have 50% share and Madam Corkrun holding the remaining 50% share.

Initially, Lucretia did not know General Diah, but one of her friends, Cyrus Cooper, was the person who introduced defendant Diah to her as his friend.

The truck was purchased from the Evergreen Import and Export (Liberia) Corporation, in Congo Town, Monrovia.

While the truck was parked at the Evergreen Import and Export (Liberia) Corporation premises,  the company management informed Cllr Gould that they could longer keep the vehicle.

It was based upon that information the police claimed that Gould verbally asked the company to give the vehicle to defendant Diah, which they did.

Later, the document alleges, Diah took along with him a driver who is identified as Fayiah, and the truck was taken to Diah's residence to be kept there until Lucretia arrived back in the country.

Unfortunately, since the arrival of Lucretia, defendant Diah has allegedly refused to turn over the vehicle to the legitimate owner.

Who  is  General Diah?

Just about a decade ago, Diah was considered one of the notorious figures during the Liberian civil war, a ranking member of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a warring faction, that killed thousands of people between 1998 and 2003.

Diah also fought earlier for ULIMO-J, another disbanded rebel group, and he served as Chief of Security at the National Port Authority (NPA) during the transitional period in 2004. He was among several persons from Grand Gedeh County that were arrested, charged and convicted for mercenary activities in neighboring Côte d'Ivoire.

But, he was among four persons to whom former  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf extended clemency.