Monrovia — The Major Crime Unit of the Liberia National Police has confirmed the findings of a FrontPageAfrica investigation into the fraudulent activities of Christopher Geeplay Weah, a Liberian national residing in Canada. Weah is alleged to have deceived a buyer from the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, swindling them out of over Four million United States Dollars through the use of counterfeit public documents.
Weah allegedly formulated a deceptive contract for the sale and purchase of Liberian Crude Oil, and entered into by his counterpart in crime, Carmen Lisa Woods, on behalf of the Government of Liberia, between Herman Halichenko (buyer) of Kyiv Ukraine's Ministry of Energy on January 9, 2023, in Tarrant County, in the State of Texas USA.
Accordingly, Weah and Woods, President of Wasil Holding Inc., based in the USA, a firm addressed at 650 S. Main Street #1450, Ft. Worth, Texas 76109, allegedly and criminally conspired to be representative of the Government of Liberia, and was Reportedly authorized to sell Liberia Crude Oil in Block#9, an oil block that reportedly doesn't exist.
A Liberia National Police document in the possession of FrontPageAfrica, also indicated that Weah has dubiously counterfeited public documents under the ceiling of selling Crude Oil in Shore Tanks R1-R9 at the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation (LPRC) in Monrovia in which Weah and Woods are expected to sell a total of Seven Hundred Million Barrels of Crude Oil at USD$250.00 per barrel, valued at a total of One HundredSeventy-Fivee Billion USD (USD$175,000,000.00).
Accordingly, Chris Weah who is a Liberian, before initiating said deal, purported to be a brother of former President George Manneh Weah, used the seal of the Republic of Liberia to sell Liberian Crude Oil Block Nine, which he (Chris) alleged that the Liberian government gave him to sell.
Consequently, Weah set up an Independent Seller Agreement with the Seal of the Executive Mansion, claiming that President Weah, (who he professed to be his brother) gave him the oil block to sell.
Weah is reportedly not the brother of former President Weah, as he hailed from Sinoe County, while President Weah is from Grand Kru County.
He is reportedly in said dubious deal with one Carmen Lisa Woods, an American and President of WASIL LTD.
WASIL Holding LTD is said to be a fake company involved with the said deal.
Police document noted that the exploitation license for Crude Oil Block#9 in Liberia dated August 30, 2023, was used to convince the would-be buyer, which Chris Weah alleged to have secured from the National Investment Commission and National Oil Company of Liberia was a counterfeit, for which Police arrested and charged for several criminal offenses.
The Oil Block does not exist, but Chris Weah allegedly made an Exploration License Certificate, fibbing that it was the National Investment Commission that gave the certificate to his company, WASIL Holdings Liberia LTD.
Chris Weah came to the limelight for these alleged fraudulent acts after the Liberia National Police Major Crime Investigation Division, on November 3, 2023, received intelligence on said matter with documentary evidence.
The Police then reportedly contacted NIC who said that the block did not exist and did not know about the said deal.
Police noted that a similar contact was done with the National Oil Company of Liberia to ascertain their facts, but NOCAL also denied dealing with Weah.
However, Police noted that following a tipoff, Weah was arrested at Hotel Montserrado after he allegedly intended to bribe state security with US$100 Thousand, giving an initial 11,600.00 (Eleven Thousand Six Hundred Dollars) which the police said was received and used as a Fruit of Crime (FOC) to prosecute Mr. Weah, since Weah, according to the police, already admitted to the crime of Economic Sabotage, Money Laundering, Forgery, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Solicitation, Impersonating Official, Counterfeiting, Obtaining Fake and deceptive writing, theft of Property and Bribery.
The police said they then notified the Financial Intelligence Authority concerning said crime, in which they have both been working in line to unearth Weah's alleged syndicate.
The LNP further said as a result of their investigation, it was further noticed that through the criminal Syndicate operation, proceed in the amount of One Million Four Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand United States Dollars were remitted by Weah's partner, Carman Lisa Woods, through her WASIL Holdings Inc. to him, Weah through his USD Account title: CHRISCO Holdings Liberia Ltd, A/c# 53070030004154USD5307, held at the United Bank for Africa Liberia Limited (UBA), while other conspirators to be identified also remitted to Christian Weah Criminal Proceed in the tone of Five Hundred Sixty-four Thousands, Two Hundred Ninety United States Dollars (US$564, 290.00) between February 2023 to January 8, 2024, via the account title Christian Weah, A/C# 53070500026208USD5307 held at the UBA Liberia, as a result of the similar agreement, falsely manipulating the government of Liberia seal.
However, LNP validated Weah being probed by the Major Crime Investigation Division, upon which Weah reportedly admitted in part to the investigation that he received 30 Thousand USD from Madam Woods as criminal proceeds, for which he was charged.
The LNP said their investigation also established that UBA failed to do due diligence by allowing Mr. Weah to withdraw the proceeds from Madam Woods WASIL Holdings Inc., without observing the Financial Intelligence Act of Liberia.
Furthermore, LNP said their investigation further uncovered that the total sum received by Chris Weah from his partner, Carman Lisa Woods/WASIL Holdings Inc. is in the sum of Four Million Forty Thousand Six Hundred and Eight Seven USD Fifty Three Cents via the UBA between the period of April 2021 to January 12, 2024, and July 11, 2018, to January 16, 2024, respectively, during the execution of the crime.
The act accordingly violates Chapter 10, Section 10.4, Chapter 10, Section 10.3 Chapter 12 Sub-Chapter "B" Section 12.35, Chapter 15, Section 15.51, Sub Chapter "E" Section 15.70, Chapter 12, Sub-Chapter "D" and Section 12.50 of the New Revised Penal Laws of Liberia.
However, when Weah was ordered detained, he immediately contacted his lawyer, who filed a bond for his release.
As a result, the LNP said they contacted Montserrado County Attorney, Cllr. Swaliho A. Sesay on the matter to ensure that the court subpoenaed the bank account of Chris Weah, but Cllr. Essay, a close friend to Cllr. Arthur Johnson, Chris Weah's Lawyer, refused to do so for three weeks until the LNP through those involved with the matter, Inspector Patrick Sudue, Victor Gboyah, and Sam Ballah, Specifically assigned at the Major Crime Investigation Divison were taken to the Civil Law Court by Chris Weah through his Lawyer, Cllr. Johnson for a Motion to Recover Chatel.
However, when Sesay refused to issue said writ, the police said they used an in-house lawyer, Cllr. Jimmy Bombo to write the Judge of Criminal Court "C" who onward subpoena the bank account of Chris Weah.
However, Chris Weah, through his Lawyer, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, in an attempt to thwart the case, ran to the Civil Law Court, presided by Cllr. Ousman Feika, with a Motion to Revover Chatel, alleged that the money which he initially intended to bribe a Police officer with was seized as FOC, was not seized but extorted from him.
The Motion intended to ensure that the LNP, through Patrick Sudue, Victor Buyah, and Ballah returned said amount to Mr. Weah.
Following legal procedure, Judge Feika in his ruling ordered that the money be returned to Mr. Weah on several grounds.
Judge Feika noted that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Liberia is the government parastatal statutorily charged with the responsibility to monitor, investigate, and report illegal financial transactions, especially in-flow and out-flow of financial transactions through the banking system, and they should be the one responsible to monitor, flagged and investigate said matter.
The judge further noted that the averments contained in the defendant's (Sudue, Gboyah, and Ballah) answer show that the plaintiff was a suspect of being involved in illegal financial transactions when transfers of varying amounts were being made to his UBA account in Liberia by another person.
"This court says that with the role assigned to the FIU by the law establishing it, all suspicious financial transactions are supposed to be monitored, flagged, investigated, and reported by the FIU," Judge Feika registered.
Going forward, Judge Feika added that there is no indication in the records of the proceedings that Mr. Weah is the subject of an FIU investigation because of illegal financial transaction(s) related to his bank account(s) lodged with a local bank in Liberia, neither is there any complainant shown in the records that the Weah is engaged in illegal financial transactions.
However, the LNP through their legal team has petitioned the Justice In Chamber, Jamesetta Wolokollie to review Feika's decision.
The LNP through Sudue, Gboyah, and Ballah through their lawyer, have filed a Petition for Certiorari against Judge Feika and Christain Weah, the man at the center of the issue, to review the lower court's decision in the matter.
The petition among other things indicated that after several investigative interactions with Mr. Weah, he was allowed to sign and return the next day at 5:00 P.M., but as of November 3, 2023, he and his surety escaped the country to Ghana to avoid further police investigation, at which time his lawyers Cllr. Johnson filed an Action to Recover Chattel, contrary to the Standing Procedure.
Also, the petition noted that the thing sought to be recovered is a Fruit of Crime, and the matter is subject to criminal proceedings, therefore, the Civil Law Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter.
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Accordingly, the petition maintained that an Action to Recover Chattel is not applicable in criminal proceedings, but a Motion to Suppress and Return Evidence.
At the same the, before Judge Feika's ruling, the LNP ruling, had filed a request before the Assigned Circuit Judge, Criminal Court "C" Scheaplor R. Dunbar requesting his office to Subpoena all bank accounts belonging to Mr. Christopher Weah, the one name on the center of the alleged criminal syndicate, at Eco Bank, GT Bank Liberian and UBA.
Also on January 31, 2024, the Stipendary Magistrate of the Monrovia City Court, issued an arrest order to all security apparatus for Mr. Weah's arrest, after it was reported that he had escaped the country.
In the meantime, while a Petition for Certiorari is before the Justice in Chambers against Feika's ruling, the Monrovia Court has also Summoned the Management of UBA to appear on Monday, February 5, against a complaint by the Liberia National Police that the bank did not do due diligence to allow Mr. Weah to withdraw such a huge amount from his about without considering the FIA Law.
Chris Weah returned to the country during the early hours of Sunday, February 4, and while the police received intelligence and were waiting to have him arrested at the arrival terminal of the airport, he was reportedly whisked through the VIP lounge by some unknown men.
Meanwhile, following a thorough search for Weah following his return to Liberia, he was later arrested by the Liberia National Police and taken to the Monrovia City Court on Charges of Economic Sabotage, Money Laundering, Forgery, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Solicitation, Impersonating Official, Counterfeiting, Obtaining Fake and Deceptive Writing, Theft of Property and Bribery.
However, the City Court on Monday, February 5, dismissed the prosecution's case, noting that the prosecution cannot use a Writ of Arrest that was previously withdrawn from the court due to a lack of sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Weah at the time and rearrest him.
Mr. Weah's lawyer argued that his client was before the court as a result of a Writ of Summons served to him, not on earlier charges which the police have requested to be dropped.
Nevertheless, the police stated that they are making use of the law to issue a new Writ of Arrest against Mr. Weah on Tuesday, February 6, and arraigned him before the court.
