By: Alphanso G. Kalama
Monrovia, Liberia – Samuel D. Tweah., Liberia’s former Finance Minister, surrendered to Criminal Court ‘C’ on Wednesday morning after returning to the country late Tuesday. He faces serious charges, including economic sabotage, fraud, and criminal conspiracy, alongside ex-National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh and former Solicitor General Cllr. Nyanti Tuan.
The court has set Tweah’s bail at $8 million and scheduled his trial for November 12. These indictments follow an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which alleges that the former officials orchestrated a scheme diverting over L$1 billion and US$500,000 from the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). The funds, designated for national security and oversight, reportedly vanished between September 8 and 21, 2023.
The LACC’s findings suggest that Tweah authorized large transfers without the necessary approvals, raising significant legal concerns. Notably, withdrawals from the transferred funds were executed swiftly by D. Moses P. Cooper, the then Acting Financial Controller of the FIA, leaving only L$7,500 in the account.
Furthermore, Cllr. Tuan, then acting as Minister of Justice, was aware of the transactions but did not provide documentation regarding their usage. This case marks a significant development in Liberia’s ongoing fight against corruption.
The charges include Economic Sabotage (Fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia), Misuse of Public Money, Theft of Property, Money Laundering, Criminal Facilitation, and Criminal Conspiracy.
FrontPage Africa learned that Tweah, returned to Liberia on the morning of Wednesday, September 25, at 9 A.M. His legal team had earlier requested that his trial, along with the other four accused, be scheduled for early October.
The indictment follows an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) into allegations of corruption at the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). The grand jury of Montserrado, convened at Criminal Court “A,” re-indicted the five former officials of the George Weah administration, recommending their prosecution.
The individuals facing trial include former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, former Acting Justice Minister and Solicitor General Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Director General D. Moses P. Cooper, former Financial Intelligence Comptroller Stanley S. Ford, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to President Weah.
The case will be heard before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “A,” overseen by Judge Blamo Dixon. The indictment was transferred to the court, which is responsible for prosecuting the crimes outlined by state prosecutors.
