Monrovia — In a stunning twist to one of Liberia’s most high-profile corruption cases, Wilmont Smith, former Deputy Director for Information and Coordination at the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), has reportedly fled the country, violating court orders and triggering a Criminal Contempt of Court warrant.
A report by Liberia’s leading online platform Spoon TV Live said, Smith, who was indicted alongside three other LISGIS officials for allegedly embezzling over US$1.7 million in public funds between 2019 and 2022 A B, had been released on a US$5 million property bond earlier this year B. The charges include economic sabotage, fraud, misapplication of entrusted property, and criminal conspiracy.
Despite multiple court terms under the Boakai administration, Smith and his co-defendants had not been prosecuted, prompting Smith to file a motion for dismissal citing violations of his constitutional right to a speedy trial. But instead of awaiting judicial review, Smith has now jumped bail, allegedly escaping Liberia under undisclosed circumstances.
Authorities are scrambling to locate Smith, who is said to be hiding out in the United States of America after escaping from Liberia.
Stay tuned as the story unfolds. The hunt for Wilmont Smith is officially underway.
This story is reported by Spoon TV Live
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