As Three Former Weah’s Gov’t Officials Arrested in Anti-Corruption Fight
IPNEWS: Former Solicitor General Nyanti Tuan, together with the former Controller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, Moses P. Cooper and former National Security Advisor, Jefferson Karmoh, and former Representative of Sinoe County have spent their third day behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison, South of the capital Monrovia.
The three were apprehended by state security after the Ministry of Justice, in association with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission filed a complaint of alleged crimes of Economic Sabotage in-line with section 15.80(a) (b) and (c), Misused of Public Money, Property or Record, Section 15.8(c), Theft and or Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money (section 18.52) Theft Of Property, Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal facilitation, at the Monrovia City Court on early Monday July 29, 2024.
Magistrate Ben Barco denied Cllr. Tuan and the FIU’s former Comptroller recognizance and ordered them to file a valid criminal appearance bond after their lawyers requested the court to release them to them even though the request was not objected to by state prosecutors.
Both Cllr. Tuan and Cooper were arrested and taken to the court under heavy armed police escort.
Others to be arrested are former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr. and the former Director of Financial Intelligence Agency, Stanley S. Ford.
Captain Charles Bloyuefloh of the Magistrate Police has been commanded to arrest the defendants and bring them to the Monrovia City Court to answer these charges. However, the Ministry of Justice and LACC argued that this conspiracy severely undermines the economic stability and integrity of the Liberian government and as the investigation continues, the case is expected to expose the depth of corruption and the measures being taken to restore accountability within the government.
The court’s instruction read, “You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Samuel D. Tweah, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, Stanley S. Ford, former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), D. Moses P. Cooper, former Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor, and forthwith bring them to the Monrovia City Court, Temple of Justice Building, Montserrado County to answer the charges of Economic Sabotage, Theft and/or Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Theft of Property, Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), plaintiff, in which it is substantially alleged as follows to wit.”
Findings from an earlier report suggest that the accused were in an elaborate scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Government of Liberia, in July 2023 that the defendants conspired with co-defendant Ford, and made him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia, which was in total violation and contravention of the National Security Act of Liberia. Subsequently, at various times in September, 2023, the defendants, in carrying out their diabolical scheme and conspiracy and under the false pretense of discharging their duties as officials of the Joint Security of Liberia, unauthorizedly, criminally, willfully, illegally, knowingly and maliciously, with the intent to defraud the Government of Liberia, stole and converted to their own use and benefit and did conspire, collude and made to be transferred, from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to the of L$1,055,1 52, 540 the amounts of the FIA US$5,000, 000.
The amounts ofL$1,055,145,040 and US$5,000, 000 were subsequently withdrawn either on the same day of the transfers or days thereafter, without any indication or record of how the amounts were disbursed or utilized by the Joint Security of Liberia, in complete and total violations of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
The alleged act of the defendants being unlawful, wicked, illegal and intentional, according to the court, is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein the Defendants did do and commit.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., on Monday, July 30, suspended the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Aloysius Tarlue due to the General Auditing Commission audit report.
The disclosure was made by Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah at the MICAT Press briefing
According to Minister Piah, Governor Tarlue will be suspended to answer the Audit report by the GAC.
According to The GAC’s audit report The CBL management exceeded approved expenditure limits by approximately $19.31 million from 2018 to 2022.
The audit also found that budget expenditure projections consistently surpassed revenue projections, indicating a pattern of deficit financing.
Keey findings of GAC’s Audit report against Governor Aloysius J. Tarlue.
But in an earlier swift reaction to his indictment, ex-Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, described the move by the Boakai regime as a political witch hunt.
Tweah took to his official Facebook page to express his views, explaining that he has been a primary political target over the past six years.
However, along with Mr. Tweah, those indicted are Mr. Weah’s former National Security Advisor, Mr. Jefferson Karmoh, Liberia’s former Acting Justice Minister, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Director Mr. Stanley S. Ford, and former FIA Comptroller Mr. D. Moses P. Cooper.
So far, Cllr. Tuan, Mr. Karmoh, and one of the FIA indictees were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison on Monday, July 29, 2024.
Tweah, who is believed to be out of the country, maintained that the writ of arrest against the past officials is a complete witch-hunt.
Tweah contended that he had been subjected to numerous false accusations, ranging from the so-called $25 million mop-up “propaganda” to the $16 billion Liberian dollars concoction.
He said he has been subjected to other fabrications to tarnish his reputation and undermine his political standing.
Liberian prosecutors have charged Mr. Tweah and other former officials with economic sabotage, misuse of public money, property, or record, theft and illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money, theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The Joseph Nyuma Boakai-led administration has instituted a fight against corruption, seeking to hold past officials accountable for their alleged roles in the theft and misapplication of public resources during Mr. Weah’s rule.
That effort faced mounting condemnation from the outset because it appeared disorganized, but recent court measures could lead to the prosecution of many once-powerful officials.
On Monday, in a landmark move in Liberia’s fight against corruption, the Monrovia City Court issued arrest warrants against the former officials, and some were arrested, including Mr. Karmoh, Cllr. Tuan, and others.
Based on the court’s arrest order, Cllr. After their arrests, Tuan, Mr. Karmoh, and other former officials were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) announced the indictment against the former officials following investigations into claims of economic sabotage, misuse of public funds, and multiple charges.
These charges stemmed from a comprehensive investigation that uncovered significant allegations of corrupt practices that reportedly compromised the nation’s financial integrity.
Samuel Tweah, who served as Minister of Finance, is accused of mishandling public funds and enabling economic sabotage during his tenure.
Nyenati Tuan, the former Acting Justice Minister, faces accusations of misusing public resources and participating in corrupt activities.
Additionally, the indictments suggest a widespread network of alleged corruption at the highest levels of government.
For a nation that has long grappled with corruption within its public institutions, the news of the arrest warrants seems to signal a significant step toward addressing systemic corruption and reinforcing the rule of law.
However, citizens remain concerned about how the case will unfold in the coming days.
While Mr. Tweah remained at large, he criticized the Unity Party (UP)-led government for its alleged ongoing corruption.
He cited accusations of a government-sanctioned US$8 million payment from Liberia’s reserve funds to privately run SIB Bank, which purportedly financed the UP’s election campaign.
Mr. Tweah also highlighted the ruling party’s disregard for audit reports revealing significant financial mismanagement during its 12-year rule and its poor public standing due to its recent six-month governance failures.
Tweah vowed to challenge the alleged political witch-hunt and defend his reputation through the justice system.
He revealed that he is working with his legal team to refute the government’s allegations. “I will emerge stronger, and my enemies will be put to shame!” he declared.
Information coming in says, former Liberian President and political leader of the CDC Goerge M. Weah, will on today address the press amidst the arrest of his key former officials.
Ahead of this anticipated press conference by the former President, the Secretary General of Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Jefferson Koijee says any attempt for the Unity Party-led government to witch-hunt former officials who served during the administration of former President George Weah will be resisted by his party.
The CDC Secretary General stated that the peace of the country is bigger than Mr. Boakai and his shameless and spineless risky mission.”
Koijee added: “Any attempt to politicize the peace and weaponize the Judiciary will be defaced and met with stiff resistance. The Liberian Mohammed Morsi is in the making.”
Despite his outburst, the CDC Secretary General called on all citizens, especially partisans of the CDC to remain calm, adding that the National Executive Committee of the Party is in full control of the situation.
“We are in full control of the fruitless and senseless attempt of the Unity party to undermine the hard-earned credibility of the then CDC-led government. The UP will be defaced and vanquished subsequently,” he said.
