Call-Log Analysis Reveals Unauthorized Phone Use and Outside Communications During Sequestration; Verdict Thrown Out, New Trial Ordered
By Victoria G. Wesseh
Monrovia – Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman F. Feika has ordered the immediate arrest and imprisonment of all 15 jurors who served in a recent criminal trial after an investigation uncovered what the court described as widespread jury tampering and misconduct during their sequestration.
Judge Feika directed that the jurors be committed to the Monrovia Central Prison for contempt of court and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for criminal prosecution.
The decision follows a court-ordered analysis of telephone call logs, which allegedly revealed that multiple jurors smuggled cell phones and SIM cards into the jury quarters and used them to make and receive calls and exchange text messages while they were under court-ordered sequestration.
According to the ruling, the jurors had been isolated throughout the trial to ensure they remained free from outside influence. However, the court found that numerous members of the panel violated explicit instructions prohibiting possession or use of communication devices.
Citing the findings, Judge Feika declared that the integrity of the proceedings had been irreparably compromised. He subsequently set aside the jury’s verdict, delivered on May 8, 2026, declared a mistrial, and ordered that the case be retried.
The court found that most members of the jury carried mobile phones and SIM cards into the jury quarters despite repeated warnings that such devices were strictly prohibited.
The investigation further revealed that telephone number 0886500698 allegedly contacted nearly all of the jurors during the sequestration period and also communicated with some of their relatives. Another number, 0886500689, was reportedly in frequent contact with several jurors, primarily through text messages.
Judge Feika ordered that records relating to both numbers be subpoenaed and directed investigators to identify their true owners for possible criminal prosecution.
The ruling specifically alleges that jurors Johnathan Bundo, Arnold Vincent, and Maximum Dillon coordinated telephone calls and text messages between individuals outside the jury quarters and jurors inside, facilitating unauthorized communications during the trial.
The judge also disclosed that several additional telephone numbers appeared in the jurors’ call logs as incoming callers or text message senders during the sequestration period. Those numbers have likewise been subpoenaed from the relevant mobile service providers for forensic analysis.
Judge Feika instructed the Ministry of Justice to identify, arrest, and prosecute any individuals found to have communicated with the jurors during sequestration if the evidence supports charges of jury tampering.
“The evidence has established gross jury tampering and misconduct,” Judge Feika stated in his ruling, adding that the jurors’ actions “contaminated and tainted the integrity of the verdict.”
The ruling is one of the most sweeping actions ever taken against a jury in Liberia and is expected to have far-reaching implications for the country’s judicial system. In addition to the 15 jurors now facing possible criminal charges, any outside individuals found to have influenced or communicated with them during the trial could also be prosecuted.
