Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Peach H. Bility, son of Nimba County District #7 Representative Musa Hassan Bility, was sentenced to four years in jail for unauthorized possession of dangerous substances and associated offenses by Criminal Court ‘C’ at the Temple of Justice. This decision came after he entered a guilty plea, therefore avoiding a full jury trial.
Judge Joe S. Barkon cited Bility’s “voluntary plea with remorse” when he imposed the punishment on Friday. Bility’s sentence will be reduced by the eight months he has already spent in pretrial prison, the court said, and he will be sent to the Ministry of Justice’s Division of Probation Services for reintegration and counseling three months prior to the conclusion of his term.
“After deducting the eight months that have already been spent, this court convicts the offender to FOUR YEARS. In order to prepare him for reintegration into society, the verdict stipulated that he would be released to the Probation Division for rehabilitation three months prior to the end of his sentence.“
In a plea agreement with state prosecutors earlier this week, Peach Bility retracted his first not guilty plea. Cllr. Michael Wilkins Wright, the head of his legal team, was successful in his attempt to have a sequestered jury that had been chosen pending a full trial dismissed.
He was arrested on March 24, 2024, at Miami Beach, Mamba Point, after being found in possession of many drugs and firearms. The indictment indicates that Bility was operating his gray car, with plate A41029-LB, throughout Monrovia and the neighboring beach, dealing and selling illicit substances.
Authorities claimed they found 500 grams of marijuana known as Lawo, 21.4 grams of a cannabis-fentanyl combination known locally as Kush, a single-barrel revolver, two other guns, including one made in the United States, and a pack of ammunition. In court filings, the narcotics were valued at US$428 and L$1.42 million.
Sections 14.85 and 14.89 of Liberia’s Amended Penal Code, which address the illegal possession, sale, trade, distribution, and transportation of prohibited narcotics, led to Bility’s first-degree felony accusation.
He was sentenced in accordance with Chapter 16, Section 16.5 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which allows judges to accept guilty pleas in chambers and administer immediate sentences without a full trial. The probation office’s pre-sentence investigation, which the court had previously mandated, served as the foundation for the ultimate decision.
The narcotics Bility trafficked, according to the prosecution, are some of the most harmful substances contributing to Liberia’s escalating teenage drug problem. They said, the pervasive use of marijuana and Kush still promotes crime, instills fear in the neighborhood, and exposes locals to psychological and bodily harm.
Bility’s arrest was based on intelligence from confidential informants, according to security authorities such as the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency. According to reports, he was caught smoking at Miami Beach in broad daylight. He acknowledged the incident in a voluntary statement that his attorney observed.
Credit: Garmah Lomo
