Liberia: Tweah, Others Get Breathing Space.

27 August 2024
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia — The Justice's decision to place a stay order halting the case followed a request for a writ of prohibition against the ongoing legal proceedings involving Mr. Tweah and other indictees.

A Justice in Chambers at Liberia's Supreme Court, Yussif D. Kaba, has halted an ongoing corruption case regarding US$6.2M brought by Liberian prosecutors against former officials of former President George Manneh Weah's regime.

The case involves former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, who remains out of Liberia; 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.

Prosecutors indicted the former officials for multiple crimes, including economic sabotage, misuse of public money, property, or record, theft and illegal disbursement and expenditure of public funds, theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.

The officials served in the erstwhile Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government during former President Weah's six years of rule.

Following their indictment, the magisterial court in Monrovia forwarded their case to a higher court for prosecution.

But Justice Kaba stayed the case (ordered it halted) on Monday, August 26, 2024, and invited government lawyers and the lawyers representing the defendants to a conference.

The Justice's decision followed a request for a writ of prohibition against the ongoing legal proceedings involving Tweah and his co-defendants.

"By directive of His Honor Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice Presiding in Chambers, you are hereby cited to a conference with His Honor on Wednesday, September 4, 2024," the citation to the parties read.

The conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the parties are also ordered "to stay all further proceedings and/or actions pending the outcome of the conference."

Last month, the Monrovia City Court issued arrest warrants against the former officials, and some were arrested, including Mr. Karmoh, Cllr. Tuan, and others.

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.

Meanwhile, the indictments suggest a widespread network of alleged corruption at the highest levels of government.

While Mr. Tweah remained at large, he criticized the Unity Party (UP)-led government for its alleged ongoing corruption.

Read the original article on New Dawn.

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