Senate Secretary Singbeh’s Czech Republic Aide Denied Separate Trial

Senate Secretary Nanborlor Singbeh

Day one of the resumption of the long awaited US$5 million economic sabotage and theft case that involves Senate Secretary Nanborlor Singbeh had a dramatic moment, when Criminal Court ‘C’ rejected a request by the defense team to have Singbeh’s close confidant and Czech Republic national, Jan Holasek, tried alone.

Giving the reason behind his decision on Tuesday, August 17, Assigned Judge Ousmane F. Feika said the indictment (charge) suggests that co-defendant Holasek might have acted in concert with Singbeh and the other defendants, a conduct which gives rise to the charge in the first place.

Feika also said after glancing at the indictment, he observed that the conducts of all of the co-defendants including Singbeh place each of them and their conduct in close proximity for which a separate trial in favor of Holasek cannot be accepted.

Additionally, Feika ruled that, “The request for a separate trial in favor of co-defendant Holasek is hereby denied and dismissed and this matter is ordered proceeded with as in keeping with the law.”

However, Holasek’s legal team has argued that if Judge Feika were to allow for Holasek to be jointly tried with Singbeh and the other defendants, the judge’s action would be injurious to Holasek's defense.

In a counter argument, the prosecutors said the defense team of Holasek is not hostile to that of the other co-defendants, of which they are asking for a separate trial from the rest of his colleagues.  They argued further, “When the court accepts the request for a separate trial, the Republic of Liberia would be prejudiced as there are no antagonistic or hostile defenses that will allow the court to separate the trial for him.”

It can be recalled that while Holasek was in the employ of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from 2013 up to and including 2017, he was accused of being in possession of a fake power-of-attorney that Singbeh and his former Managing Director, Karel Sochor, also a Czech national, issued to him to withdraw US$317,500 dating back to October 21, 2013 from the Ecobank-Liberia account of MHM Eko-Liberia.

The power of attorney is said to have been issued without the approval of the company’s 70% majority owners, Martin and Pavel Miloschewsky, also Czech nationals.

Singbeh holds a 30 percent share in MHM Eko Liberia Limited, a rock crushing company that was expected to have been operated in Weala, Margibi County. The Miloschewsky brothers are claiming that they transferred monies through the Ecobank Liberia and Afriland First Bank, as well as mining equipment, for the establishment of the company.

But the money was accordingly diverted to the private accounts of Singbeh and his general manager Sochor, for which the Miloschewsky brothers are demanding accountability from Singbeh.

The prosecutors further claimed that Holasek allegedly connived with Singbeh and Sochor to sell the company’s heavy duty earth-moving equipment (caterpillars) as well as heavy duty trucks worth about US$650,000, which Martin and Pavel shipped to Singbeh, their minority partner.

They also alleged that Singbeh had been in cahoots with Sochor, Holasek and other individuals to sell and rent some of the equipment and deposit the money generated therefrom into their personal accounts, instead of the majority shareholders’ accounts.

When Holasek was arrested by officers of the Liberian National Police (LNP), he alleged in a statement that while he was serving on the power-of-attorney to manage the company’s affairs, he was approached by Hans Armstrong, who is the Attorney-In-Fact of now 70% majority shareholder, the Molischewsky brothers.

Holasek, the document alleged, said that he knew a company named Horizon Construction and Transport, which reportedly had interest in renting and possibly buying an excavator and jack hammer.

Holasek claimed that he received two separate United Bank of Africa (UBA) checks written in the name of Singbeh with the value of US$10,000 and US$18,000 respectively, with the money to be given to Armstrong for the rental of the excavator and jack hammer.

He said he took the checks to Singbeh’s Capitol Building office but did not meet Singbeh there and therefore returned the said checks to Armstrong.

But a few days later, the company’s manager, Sochor, on whose behalf Holasek was acting, returned to Liberia.

According to Holasek, he accompanied Sochor along with one Peter Pesek to Armstrong’s house where he presented the checks to Armstrong.

At Armstrong’s residence, Holasek said Sochor refused the checks and insisted that Armstrong should give them cash in place of the checks and Armstrong agreed.

“In my presence, Sochor received US$10,000 cash for renting of the equipment from Armstrong, and we presented the money to Singbeh,” Holasek claimed.

Holasek denied Singbeh’s accusation that Armstrong, the Attorney-In-Fact of the majority shareholders -- the Miloschewsky brothers -- stole the excavator.