By By Contributing Writer
Monrovia – Criminal Court ‘E’ Judge Wesseh Alphonsus Wesseh Sr. has sentenced former National Security Agency (NSA) Agent Peter Bon Jallah, 63, to 50 years imprisonment for statutory rape of a 16-year-old boy.
The sentencing Tuesday came a day after the court overturned Jallah’s kidnapping conviction on jurisdictional grounds while sustaining the statutory rape verdict.
Jallah had been found guilty of statutory rape and kidnapping and acquitted of gang rape following a bench trial that drew national attention.
In a ruling Monday, Judge Wesseh said the kidnapping charge was improperly handled due to a jurisdictional error, effectively acquitting Jallah of that count but leaving prosecutors the option to refile before a court with proper jurisdiction.
The court also denied the defense’s motion for a new trial, ruling it failed to meet the legal threshold for reopening a non-jury case.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on DNA evidence and testimony from 12 witnesses, including the victim, police investigators, medical personnel and a Rwandan forensic expert. Jallah was arrested in January 2026 following a complaint by the victim’s mother and had denied the charges.
Immediately after sentencing, defense lawyers announced an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle over the 50-year sentence.
