The Honourable Judge continued to state 4th Accused ARTHUR KWESI JOHN and 9th Accused MOHAMED ALLIE SHAABAN are acquitted of charges and he set them free. He then remanded all the other seven convicted persons into Pademba Road prisons pending their actual sentencing slated for Wednesday August 15th 2012.

Both the Prosecution and Defence Teams have expressed respect for the decision of the judge. Head of the Anti Corruption Commission Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara in a Press Statement said he welcomed the judgment and described it as “momentous in the fight against corruption” and said that “today, our courts have reaffirmed that indeed in Sierra Leone, no man is above the law”.

A lead defence lawyer Yada Williams Esq. who is out of the country on a private trip, told Awareness Times on the line from overseas that his client, Mayor Herbert George-Williams "actually got vindicated" because  the courts proved his innocence of most allegations. “He was only found guilty of two counts; none of which were for embezzlement, dishonesty or fraud. He is guilty of failing to follow legal procurement procedures”.

Meanwhile, down below are the original 25-Counts charge. It should be noted that one of the original accused persons, Nimata Bendu had been discharged from the first days of the trial following a case of mistaken identity. Counts below for which guilty verdicts were rendered have the words GUILTY stated next to the named of the accused. On all other counts, they have been proven in a Court of Law to be innocent of the corruption charges as slammed on them by Anti Corruption Commission.

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COUNT 1: Conspiracy to commit a corruption offence by misappropriating sum of  Le744,450,000 by a willful loss caused by hosting a live two days Morgan Heritage concert, which said sum was meant for the development of the municipality of Freetown.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips

COUNT 2: Failure to pay Tax (Pay As You Earn “PAYE”) in sum of Le62,269,595,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips

COUNT 3: Failure to pay Tax (Pay As You Earn “PAYE”) in sum of Le88,565,638.,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips

COUNT 4: Failure to pay NASSIT Contribution in sum of Le76,123,246.20,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips,

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi and

Arthur Kwesi-John

COUNT 5:  Failure to pay Tax (Pay As You Earn “PAYE”) in sum of Le80,058,509,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips,

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi and

Arthur Kwesi-John

COUNT 6:  Failure to pay Tax (Pay As You Earn “PAYE”) in sum of Le110,070,553,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips,

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi and

Arthur Kwesi-John

COUNT 7:  Failure to pay Tax (Pay As You Earn “PAYE”) in sum of Le89,448,347,

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips,

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi and

Arthur Kwesi-John

COUNT 8: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le55,589,100 willfully deprived from Freetown City Council monies collected as Market Dues.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips and

Desmond Thomas                                    - GUILTY

COUNT 9: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le24,317,300 willfully deprived from Freetown City Council monies collected as Municipal Licenses.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Fredrick Phillips and

Desmond Thomas

COUNT 10: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le22,470,000 willfully deprived from Freetown City Council monies collected as Market Dues

Alimamy Turay                                        - GUILTY

COUNT 11: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le10,000,000 purporting to be payment in respect of the Morgan Heritage concert.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams

COUNT 12: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le9,800,000 purporting to be payment for allowances to Councilor’s need assessment

Aiah Brima                                               - GUILTY

COUNT 13: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le9,225,000 purporting to be payment for Rehabilitation Work and Steel Door at Morgan Street Market.

Franklyn Garber                                      - GUILTY

COUNT 14: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le2,815,000 purported to have been paid to participants at the three day Strategic Planning Retreat at Hill Valley Hotel as Dally Subsistence Allowance.

Aiah Brimah

COUNT 15: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le2,063,400 willfully deprived from Freetown City Council monies collected as Wharf Landing Fees.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Frederick Phillips and

Desmond Thomas

COUNT 16: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le4,000,000 purporting to be payment made to the National Power Authority for prepayment on light bill.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Frederick Phillips and

Arthur Kwesi John

COUNT 17: Misappropriation of Public Revenue, in the sum of Le5,874,000 willfully deprived from the Freetown City Council revenue from Lumley Government Hospital.

Nimata Bendu

COUNT 18: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of USD$9,000.00 purported to be payment for excess luggage to Morgan Heritage Concert.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams

COUNT 19: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of USD$10,000 purporting to be payment in respect of the Morgan Heritage Concert.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams

COUNT 20: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le79,980,000 purporting to make payment for the relocation of evictees from the construction site of a market and shop center at Fisher Street.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,

Bowenson Frederick Phillips and

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi

COUNT 21: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le800,000,000 being payment for the construction of Market and Shop Center at Fisher Street.

Mohamed Allie Shaaban

COUNT 22: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in the sum of Le13,442,500 purporting to be payment made to one Zenobean Enterprises for the supply of swivel chairs.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams

Bowenson Frederick Phillips

COUNT 23: Misappropriation of Public Funds, in sum of Le7,640,000 purporting to be payment made to one Ibrahim Kamara as ‘Incentive for Revenue Enforcement Team’

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams and

Bowenson Frederick Phillips

COUNT 24: Willfully failing to comply with procurement law in respect of the purchase of services of the Morgan Heritage Family for the sum of USD$130,000 for a two day live musical concert staged at the National Stadium.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams,               - GUILTY

Bowenson Frederick Phillips,                        - GUILTY

Arthur Kwesi John and

Sylvester Momoh Konnehi                           - GUILTY

COUNT 25: Willfully failing to comply with procurement law in respect of the purchase of services of Rugged Musical set for the sum of USD$35,000 for two days to be used at the Morgan Heritage concert at the National Stadium.

Herbert Akieremi George-Williams                - GUILTY

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