Reality about Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others’ prosecution by the Government of Liberia following the burning of Salala Rubber Corporation, now Jeety Rubber LLC

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ADNews-Margibi: As public interest grows in the legal proceedings involving Madam Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others, former officials of the defunct Salala Rubber Corporation Workers Union, the following clarifications must be made in response to some misinformation and disinformation in the public sphere.

1. That the ongoing prosecution of Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others is being conducted entirely by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice. Contrary to the misleading narrative being pushed by the accused, neither the Salala Rubber Corporation nor Mr. Jeety has any involvement in these legal proceedings

By the way, Mr. Jeety cannot and will never have such imaginary power to interfere with the Justice system of Liberia.

2. That Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others are being prosecuted by the Government for staging the violent June 27, 2024, protest, which led to a significant destruction of properties owned by the Salala Rubber Corporation, including the administrative headquarters, among others. The pictures attached speak to the huge damage their action caused the facility.

It can be recalled that the protest, which took place under the then Socfin S.A. management of SRC, resulted in US$275,000 worth of property being damaged, according to the Liberia National Police.

3. That Mary Boimah and Lawrence Gborbor, along with others, were arrested by Police and charged with multiple offenses, including criminal facilitation, solicitation, conspiracy, mischief, and theft of property.
4. That a review of the case by the Grand Jury of Margibi County in the March term of the court led to additional charges, including armed robbery and arson. (Note: It is legal under Liberian law for charges to be upgraded or downgraded during the judicial process.)
5. That available Court records clearly show that Mary Boimah and Lawrence Gborbor were rearrested on March 17, following the Grand Jury of Margibi County’s decision to upgrade their indictments to include charges of arson and armed robbery, based on a review of additional evidence.
6. That the rearrest occurred after SKY International Insurance Corporation—whose bond had previously kept Mary Boimah and Lawrence Gborbor out of prison since their initial arrest in June 2024—notified the Court of its decision to withdraw the bond valued at US$550,420.
7. That upon being notified of SKY International Insurance Corporation’s bond withdrawal, the Margibi County Attorney’s Office of the Ministry of Justice promptly filed a request for a change of venue. The request was granted, and on March 20, 2025, Mary Boimah and Lawrence Gborbor were transferred to Criminal Court ‘A’ in Monrovia and subsequently imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison, where they remain in custody pending the posting of a new bond.
8. That the initial US$550,420 bond filed by SKY International Insurance Corporation fully aligns with legal procedure, as Liberian law requires criminal insurance bonds to be set at double the value of the alleged damages. According to court documents, the damages attributed to the actions of the accused amount to US$275,210. This figure is lawfully doubled to arrive at the bond value of US$550,420. In the absence of this bond, the accused must remain in detention.
9. Given these well-documented and publicly available facts, the ongoing misinformation campaign implicating the new management of the Salala Rubber Corporation, led by business tycoon Jeety, of influencing the legal proceedings, is false and far from the truth.
10. That it is clear that the charges against Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others are not civil matters but criminal in nature. Therefore, only the State can prosecute them. The charges against the accused are serious offenses under the law; as such, no individual can influence the government’s prosecutorial decisions.

It is also worth noting that no one can influence the Ministry of Justice to file a request for a change of venue. Such a request must be grounded in law and argued in open court before a judge can render a ruling. This is a structured legal process—not something subject to private interference.

11. That it is, therefore, unfortunate for people to be claiming that Mr. Jeety is influencing the entire legal proceeding, from which he has nothing to gain. The case in question was never initiated under Mr. Jeety or SRC under his ownership. Rather, the case predates his ownership of the company. By the time Mr. Jeety bought SRC in August 2024, Mary Boimah, Lawrence Gborbor, and others accused were already indicted and awaiting trials.
12. That associating SRC’s new management with this case misrepresents the facts and unfairly tarnishes the reputation and image of Mr. Jeety. But equally so, it presents an impossible picture of one man being so powerful that he can influence the entire Ministry of Justice and the Court to his will. As it stands, the case is the case of the government, and only the government can decide to drop the case or continue. Neither SRC nor Mr. Jeety can influence how the Government of Liberia handles the case.
13. It is worth noting that Mary Boimah has a history of violence. In 2018 or 2019, she led a group of protesters in Weala to burn down the magistrate court and police station.