–Criminal Court “C” Grants Prosecution’s Nolle Prosequi Request, Orders Return of Former GSA Director-General’s Bond
MONROVIA, Liberia — Criminal Court “C” has granted the prosecution’s application for a nolle prosequi in favor of former General Services Agency (GSA) Director-General Mary T. Broh, removing her as a defendant from the ongoing criminal proceedings arising from the alleged mismanagement of Saudi-donated relief rice.
Assigned Judge Ousman F. Feika granted the prosecution’s application after reviewing the records and determining that the request fell within the prosecution’s statutory authority under Chapter 18, Section 18.1 of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law.
The prosecution filed the application on July 3, 2025, seeking to discontinue the criminal proceedings against Broh.
Following the ruling, Judge Feika directed the Clerk of Court to return Broh’s criminal appearance bond, or its value where applicable, and ordered that her name be removed from the list of defendants.
Broh Was Among Officials Charged Over Saudi Rice
Broh was initially charged alongside several former government officials in connection with an investigation into the alleged diversion and mismanagement of 29,412 bags of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
The rice, valued at approximately US$425,918, was donated in 2023 for distribution to disaster-affected and vulnerable communities in Liberia. Prosecutors and investigators subsequently alleged that a substantial portion of the consignment was diverted or distributed without proper authorization and documentation.
Broh, a former Monrovia City Mayor and former GSA Director-General, was among several high-profile former officials arrested in June 2025 after being indicted in connection with the case.
She appeared before Criminal Court “C” along with former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, former National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Executive Director Henry O. Williams and other accused persons. They were subsequently released after securing bond.
The broader case involves allegations including theft of property, economic sabotage, misapplication of entrusted property, abuse of office and criminal conspiracy, according to the indictment.
Nolle Prosequi Removes Broh From Proceedings
The latest ruling does not constitute a finding that Broh was innocent or guilty of the allegations originally brought against her. Rather, it reflects the court’s decision to grant the prosecution’s request to discontinue the criminal proceedings against her.
A nolle prosequi is a formal decision by the prosecution to discontinue a criminal case or particular prosecution. In this instance, the court accepted the prosecution’s application after determining that it was legally authorized to make the request.
Judge Feika’s order to return Broh’s criminal appearance bond and remove her name from the list of defendants formally ends her participation as a defendant in the proceedings covered by the ruling.
Case Continues Against Other Defendants
Broh’s removal does not, by itself, terminate the broader Saudi rice case.
Other individuals remain implicated in the proceedings, which have faced a series of procedural developments and delays since the initial arrests and indictments in June 2025.
The case has attracted considerable public attention because the rice was donated specifically for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians, making the allegations a major test of the government’s anti-corruption and accountability campaign.
The broader proceedings also remain subject to the constitutional principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
With Broh now removed from the case following the prosecution’s nolle prosequi application, attention will turn to how the court proceedings involving the remaining defendants proceed.
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