–Judge Rules Issues Raised by Defense Must Be Determined During Full Trial
MONROVIA, Liberia – Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice has denied a motion to dismiss an indictment filed against former officials associated with the Monrovia Development and Management Corporation (MDMC), clearing the way for criminal proceedings in an alleged theft and criminal facilitation case to move forward.
The ruling was handed down Friday by Assigned Circuit Judge Ousman F. Feika, who held that the legal and factual issues raised by the defense should be determined during a full trial involving all defendants jointly indicted in the matter.
The defendants are John S. Youboty, Joseph C. Goodridge, and Thelma Duncan Sawyer, who are facing allegations linked to the alleged theft of government property and related offenses.
According to court records, the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force filed a motion on May 4, 2026, seeking leave of court to amend the indictment by adding the Monrovia Development and Management Corporation (MDMC) as a defendant. The motion was filed pursuant to Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law and argued that the corporation should be included in the proceedings.
During arguments before the court, lawyers representing both the prosecution and the defense agreed that the prosecution’s motion to amend the indictment and the defense’s motion to dismiss should be consolidated and heard simultaneously.
While the defendants did not object to the inclusion of MDMC as a party to the case, defendants Youboty and Goodridge subsequently filed a 27-count motion seeking dismissal of the charges against them.
The defense argued that MDMC is a separate legal entity distinct from its officers, directors, and employees, and contended that the indictment failed to allege any personal criminal conduct committed by the defendants outside the scope of their official duties.
Defense lawyers further maintained that the indictment did not establish that the defendants used the corporation as an instrumentality or “alter ego” for personal benefit, nor did it identify any specific statutory obligations that were allegedly violated.
However, prosecutors strongly opposed the motion, arguing that the defendants were allegedly involved in a coordinated scheme involving criminal facilitation and conspiracy related to the theft of property belonging to the Government of Liberia.
The prosecution maintained that dismissing the charges against Youboty and Goodridge would undermine the State’s theory that the defendants acted jointly in the commission of the alleged offenses.
State lawyers also argued that the movants had failed to seek severance from their co-defendant, Thelma Duncan Sawyer, before filing the motion to dismiss.
In his ruling, Judge Feika noted that court records did not show that the defendants had filed any motion for severance to separate their case from that of the other jointly indicted defendants.
Citing Chapter 6, Section 6.5 of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, the court held that severance is a necessary procedural requirement when parties seek separate adjudication of issues arising from a jointly filed action.
“The strength of the evidence relied upon by the respondent be tested in a full trial of all defendants indicted together,” Judge Feika stated in his ruling.
Based on that determination, the court denied and dismissed the motion to dismiss, upheld the prosecution’s resistance, and ordered that the matter proceed in accordance with law.
The ruling represents a significant development in the high-profile MDMC case, as prosecutors now move forward with efforts to present evidence supporting the allegations against the defendants during trial.
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