Monrovia, Liberia — Criminal Court ‘C’ has completed the selection of a 15-member jury to hear the case involving 13 defendants accused of misappropriating thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice valued at approximately US$500,000.
The defendants are accused of misappropriating 25,054 of the 29,412 bags of rice donated to Liberia by Saudi Arabia.
All 13 defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including theft of property, economic sabotage, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy.
With jury selection now completed, the case is expected to proceed to the next stage of trial, where prosecutors will present evidence in support of the allegations against the accused.
The defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
