Witnesses in the ongoing human trafficking trial at Criminal Court ‘A’ have told jurors that they were promised opportunities to travel abroad but instead found themselves trapped in fenced compounds where they allegedly endured abuse, intimidation, and constant pressure to send for money.
The case stems from allegations that several individuals recruited people from different parts of Liberia with promises of travel to Canada.
According to the indictment, victims paid large sums of money for what they believed were travel processing fees but were allegedly confined in compounds and forced to seek additional funds from relatives and friends.
Taking the stand, Precious Thomas testified that she was running a business in Grand Gedeh County when a man identified as Bill Plato contacted her about traveling to Canada. She told the court that she and her boyfriend raised US$3,000 before she traveled to Monrovia.
Thomas said she was taken to a fenced compound and was not allowed to leave or communicate freely with her family after turning over the money. She further alleged that Plato sexually exploited her and repeatedly pressured her to ask relatives and friends for more money.
She told jurors that residents who failed to follow instructions were punished and that security personnel carried weapons, including cutlasses and knives. Thomas also recounted the illness and death of a young woman identified as Ophelia.
According to her testimony, residents eventually drew the attention of people outside the compound by shouting for help. She said they seized the opportunity to escape when concerned citizens gathered at the gate.
Another witness, Racheal Lakpor, gave a similar account. Lakpor testified that she was living in Nimba County when she was approached with what she believed was an opportunity to travel abroad. After her family raised US$1,000, she traveled to Monrovia and was later taken to a compound in Mambas Town.
Lakpor alleged that she was sexually assaulted shortly after arriving at the compound. She further testified that her phone was taken from her and that she was repeatedly instructed to contact relatives and friends for money.
She told the court that those who refused were punished and that several family members sent money through mobile money transfers after being told that travel arrangements were underway. However, she said no travel ever took place.
During the proceedings, defense lawyers objected to the introduction of certain police documents, arguing that portions of the records had not been disclosed to the defense. The court overruled the objection and allowed the documents to be identified before the jury.
During the hearing, one of the defendants, Shirley Johnny, agreed to testify for the prosecution after telling the court that some of the allegations in the indictment were true.
Following her decision to cooperate, prosecutors dropped the charges against her under a ‘nolle prosequi’, and the court qualified her as a prosecution witness.
Johnny testified that she was recruited from Nimba County after being promised a chance to travel to Canada. She told jurors that she paid US$2,000 toward a processing fee before being taken to the compound.
According to Johnny, residents were pressured to recruit others and raise money from relatives. Those who failed to comply, she said, faced punishments that included kneeling under the sun, strenuous exercises, and verbal abuse.
“What I saw is what I will talk about because I was there,” Johnny told the court.
On June 5, 2026, the Grand Jury for Montserrado County indicted twenty-two people do or their alleged involvement in the trafficking in persons and migration fraud scheme that prosecution said targeted dozens of Liberians with promises of travel and employment opportunities in Canada.
The indictment, returned during the May Term of Court, charges the defendants with Trafficking in Persons, Theft of Property, and Criminal Conspiracy following an investigation by Liberia National Police (LNP).
According to court records, prosecutors alleged that the accused recruited vulnerable young Liberians from several counties by promising assistance with travel, employment, and educational opportunities abroad.
Instead, authorities say the victims were brought to Monrovia, where some were allegedly confined, denied freedom of movement, and pressured to provide additional money.
The indictment identifies 57 alleged victims-22 women and 35 men between the ages of 18 and 36. Prosecutors say the victims collectively paid about US$124,921 after being led to believe they were participating in a legitimate migration program to Canada.
Court documents allege that many of the victims sold personal belongings, borrowed money, or relied on family savings to pay what they believed were processing and travel fees.
Investigators contend that after the payments were made, the victims were housed at facilities in the Gbangba Town area along the Roberts International Airport Highway instead of being prepared for international travel.
Prosecutors further allege that some victims had their phones, travel documents, and other personal belongings confiscated while being held at the facilities. Witness statements cited in the indictment claim that those housed there were encouraged to contact relatives and friends to solicit additional funds.
The trial continues before Criminal Court ‘A.’
