Criminal Court A has ordered the Ministry of Justice to produce the living body of Ibrahima Khalil Cherif, a Guinea National who has mysteriously gone missing.
This comes after Verity News investigated and uncovered that the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), through the Office of the County Attorney for Montserrado County, officially dropped all charges against Ibrahim Khalil Cherif before his controversial missing allegation sparked out.
The Court mandate to the Ministry of Justice is due to the defence team filing a bill of information with Judge Willie of Criminal Court A.
The judge entertained arguments between both parties there, resulting in a mandate, instructing the government through the Ministry of Justice to find the living body of the Guinea National.
The judge wants to know whether the government still keeps Khalil in custody, but the Liberia National Police has announced that it has freed the missing defendant.
Missing Ibrahima Khalil is a defendant who was facing serious criminal charges, including mercenaries, armed insurrection, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy, and para-military activities.
Meanwhile, this decision to free all charges against the defendant before the court was formalized in a motion of Nolle Prosequi, filed with the Judge of Criminal Court “A” Roosevelt Z. Willie at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
The motion, signed by County Attorney Richard J. Scott, Jr., was presented to Resident Circuit Judge Willie on October 31, 2024.
The legal filing effectively ends Khalil’s prosecution in the current case, though the Ministry of Justice has reserved the right to re-file charges later should circumstances change.
While the Ministry of Justice did not provide specific reasons for the decision, legal experts suggest that such moves are often made due to insufficient evidence or evolving developments in the case.
The charges against Khalil, who is missing in action, included some of the most serious offenses under Liberia’s criminal law, particularly those related to national security.
In a brief statement, a copy of which is in the possession of Verity Newspaper, the Ministry clarified that the decision was in accordance with the statutory provisions of Chapter 18.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which governs the prosecution of criminal cases in Liberia.
It remains to be seen whether the decision will be challenged or if new developments will emerge that could lead to renewed legal action.
However, for now, Khalil, who is reported missing, stands free from the criminal charges he previously faced.
Meanwhile, information concerning his mysterious disappearance has sparked severe outrage, implicating a security threat between Liberia and Guinea.
A few days ago, Former Associate Justice Ja’neh announced a plan to rally protesters over the mysterious disappearance of his client caused by subversion in his home country, Guinea.
His pronouncement on protest intensified national security concern about the whereabouts of Guinea National Khalif Cherif, who was recently arrested by Liberian Joint Security personnel after being accused of planning subversive activities in his home country and escaping to Liberia.
Cherif was recently arrested and incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison after Liberian security personnel were alerted that he (Cherif) had entered the country from Guinea for safety and was allegedly recruiting ex-combatants in a bit to oust the Junta Government in Guinea.
This situation has created a soaring relationship between the Government of Liberia and Guinea, which was accusing Liberia of supporting a group to oust its leadership.
However, Lawyer representing Cherif has raised concerns about his whereabouts, noting that Cherif’s current location is a mystery, as there is no information surrounding his current location as allegations have emerged that Cherif has been kidnapped and slew.
However, close sources from Guinea and Liberia have confirmed that the Guinean national, Cherif, who was arrested by Liberian Security personnel, was turned over to the authority of Guinea and that he is not a Liberian National, as speculated in the public.
Renowned Lawyer Ja’neh has also claimed that Cherif is a Liberian, and his client demands his location.
As such, Cherif, who was arrested due to allegations of planning subversive activities against the Guinean Government, whereabouts continue to be a significant concern of former Associate Justice Kabina Ja’neh, who has accused the UP government of kidnapping and promises to rally citizens to protest what he terms as ‘total breakdown of law and order’.
