In a case involving defendant Abraham Benjamin and Christina Mamtu Singbah’s clashes over alleged US$100K, and marriage saga, all twelve jurors returned him (Abraham Benjamin) with an Unamiously not guilty verdict.
The Judge of Criminal Court “C”, A. Blamo Dixon, has therefore acquitted defendant Benjamin based on unima not guilty of the Jurors.
The Criminal Court “C” Judge thereafter ordered defendant Benjamin’s release from further detention and not to answer to any charges involving this case.
However, Abraham Benjamin said he did not steal US$100, 000.00, from his wife Christina Singbah.
He clearly explained upon his wife Singbah’s order, the Liberia National Police (LNP) kept him in jail for about two years.
” The Police took me from my house to Central Police Station, I was tortured for four hours; I was detained for eight days without food after the Police Officer forced me to make a statement in which I was not represented by a lawyer” Pastor Benjamin testifies.
Pastor Benjamin said it was a diabolical lie that he entirely misapplied US$100, 000.00 sent to him by his wife through Send Wave, RIA, LBDI Bank, and MoneyGram.
He indicated that the construction works that were undertaken by him before his arrest and incarceration based on the money allegedly remitted to him by his wife, “I was able to construct a fence, a modern well and I started a new project which is a three-story building with twenty-four rooms”.
Pastor Benjamin narrated that he received a forty-foot container, but it was not for his wife Singbah alone, adding that it was for four persons including Madam Sharon, Saybah Kennedy, Kollie Walker, and his wife Christina Singbah.
“Christina Singbah lied that she sent me US$4,500.00 to purchase 600 bags of cement” Pastor Benjamin stressed.
The Defendant testified that the US$4,500 was the money they generated from the sale of goods.
Pastor Benjamin denied owning the original receipts of the container to Liberia, he added that Madam Singbah had all her receipts with her in America.
Defendant Benjamin said before that both of them credited some goods which is US$4,000 from an Indian man the man was asking for his money, and they came to an agreement that they give the man half of his money which is US$2,000, then some will go for cement, as they only bought one hundred and two (142) bags of cement.
“We paid for that amount of cement and the rest of the money went for concrete mixer mechanic and some woods for the profile and reservoir ” Pastor Benjamin explained.
However, taking the witness stand, Christina Singbah denied ever getting married to Pastor Benjamin, as she said Pastor Benjamin is her ex-boyfriend.
Madam Singbah said she sent the US$100, 000.00 to Pastor Benjamin from 2018 ending up to 2012, during the COVID-19 pandemic period to carry three-story building construction on her parcel of land containing two lots in Margibi County.
” I was overseas when I paid for the clearing of the container that happened to be Pastor Benjamin was the one that had the original document because he was the one that received the container upon arrival” Madam Singbah explained.
Defendant Benjamin said he and Madam Singbah got married on March 17, 2018, and the wedding was blessed by the Christ Embassy Head Pastor, Pastor Alfred W. Mayson on March 18, 2018.
He stated that their marriage had gone on four years now and no child yet because his wife Madam Singbah is based in America.
Pastor Benjamin testified that Madam Singbah and he go to the Christ Embassy church together whenever she is in Liberia.
The defendant stated that they obtained their certificate of marriage from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“I have several photographs and videos including my married photos” Benjamin narrated.
Meanwhile, the Prosecution charged defendant Benjamin with the crimes of Misappropriation of Entrusted Property.
Madam Singbah was represented by the Prosecution through the Ministry of Justice, while Defendant Benjamin was represented by Cllr. Bestman D Juah Sr.
