Woman, 56, Faces Court Trial For Trafficking Cocaine

By Comfort M. Johnson

MONROVIA June 18, (LINA) – Rita Sata Williams, a 56-year-old Liberian has been forwarded to court on allegations of drug trafficking following her arrest by officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).

Defendant Williams, who was brought to court Tuesday, June 18, is being tried on charges of illicit trafficking, sale, distribution, and possession of controlled drugs. 

According to the court document, the defendant was on June 15, arrested at the Klay check point along the Bomi County highway by an officer of the LDEA with a   suitcase containing 1.9 kilograms of substances believed to be cocaine, valued at US$102,600 (One Hundred and Two Thousand, Six hundred United States Dollars).

The court record showed that following her arrest, defendant Williams was investigated and found culpable for having illicit drugs. 

The court document noted that during the LDEA preliminary investigation, defendant Williams admitted to the crimes, but alleged that the substances which were tested and established as cocaine, were brought into the country by her, from Guinea through a Nigerian national whose name is not in the court record. 

Therefore, the LDEA noted that the physical evidence of 1.9 kilograms of cocaine was seized, following its discovery with defendant Williams.

The LDEA as statutory investigative and intelligent security entity in Liberia said it was left with no alternative, but to charge the suspect with the crime of unlicensed, sale, delivery, distribution, dispatched in transit and transporting of controlled drug in violation of Sections 14.85, 14.89 and 14.93 respectively as prescribed in 50.5 and 50.6 of the penal law of Liberia.

Meanwhile, defendant Williams is currently in detention at the Monrovia Central Prison pending the outcome of court trial.

Defendant Williams is said to be a Liberian citizen but resides in the Netherlands, and the owner and CEO of the Euphrates Enterprise, a dealer in household, office, and electronic materials on the ELWA Highway