Monrovia, Liberia – In one of the most significant human trafficking judgments delivered by Liberia’s judiciary in recent years, Criminal Court “A” has sentenced seven members of a human trafficking network to 50 years imprisonment each after they were convicted of operating a fake Canada employment scheme that defrauded and exploited dozens of Liberians.
The sentences, handed down Friday by Resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, followed unanimous guilty verdicts returned by a trial jury earlier this week after prosecutors presented evidence detailing an elaborate trafficking operation disguised as an international recruitment program.
According to the court, the convicted individuals used Infinitive Millennials Star Platinum Limitless, Inc., operating as Q-Net, to lure victims with false promises of well-paying jobs and permanent relocation to Canada. Instead of facilitating overseas travel, the victims were allegedly deceived, confined, and subjected to inhumane treatment.
Evidence presented during the trial established that at least 57 victims from Nimba, Bong, Grand Gedeh, Bomi, Lofa, and several other counties paid amounts ranging from US$950 to US$4,500 in so-called processing fees. Rather than being taken abroad, prosecutors told the court the victims were transported to a fenced compound in Gbangba Town along the Robertsfield Highway, where they were unlawfully detained.
The court heard testimony that victims had their mobile phones confiscated and were compelled to solicit additional money from relatives. Survivors further testified that those who resisted were subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including prolonged exposure to the sun, food deprivation, forced excessive water consumption, verbal humiliation, and hard labor. Several female victims also testified under oath that they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by two of the convicted ringleaders, Bill Plato and Wuo Zegarsco Garteh.
During the proceedings, defense attorneys argued that the defendants were engaged in a legitimate network marketing enterprise and maintained that no offense of human trafficking had occurred because none of the victims crossed Liberia’s borders.
Judge Willie rejected that argument, holding that under Liberia’s Trafficking in Persons Act of 2021, the offense of human trafficking is established where victims are recruited, harbored, transported, or exploited through fraud, deception, coercion, or abuse of vulnerability, regardless of whether they leave the country.
The court subsequently sentenced Wuo Zegarsco Garteh, Daylue Kargo, Rudolph S. Flomo, Bill Plato, Stanley Wonanbaye, Jerome Genseh, and Alexander Plato to 50 years imprisonment each. The court further imposed a US$10,000 fine on each convict and ordered the payment of a combined US$90,000 in restitution to the victims.
Additionally, three co-defendants—Maxi Wonanbaye, Marthaline Y. Tompia, and Preston Godfrey—who entered guilty pleas during the trial were each sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, fined US$500, and ordered to pay US$10,000 each in restitution.
Immediately following sentencing, defense lawyers gave notice of an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia, challenging both the convictions and the penalties imposed. Judge Willie acknowledged the appeal, emphasizing that it is a constitutional right available to every convicted person under Liberian law.
Pending the outcome of the appellate process, all convicted defendants have been remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison to begin serving their respective sentences.
Legal observers say the ruling represents one of the strongest applications of Liberia’s anti-human trafficking legislation to date and underscores the Judiciary’s determination to hold perpetrators of human trafficking accountable while sending a clear warning against fraudulent overseas employment schemes.
Credit: Spoon Tv
