The Criminal Court 'C' on Tuesday, September 10, clarified that no international arrest warrant has been issued for former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah. The court dismissed reports suggesting otherwise, following a grand jury indictment. The clarification comes after the grand jury's indictment was submitted to the court a day earlier.
The court stated that if the government seeks an Interpol arrest warrant against Tweah or any other defendants, such an action would take place through a request for assistance from Interpol through the Liberia National Police.
"If the government were to apply for the issuance of the Interpol arrest warrant against Tweah or any of the defendants yet to come under the court's jurisdiction, we will request the international law-enforcement agency, Interpol, through the Liberia National Police (LNP), to issue the international arrest order," a judicial source told the Daily Observer.
Tweah and his co-defendants are expected to stand trial for corruption in this court. Three of the five defendants, former Acting Justice Minister and Solicitor General, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan; former FIA Comptroller, Moses P. Cooper; and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to President Weah, were rearrested recently but were released with guarantees from their lawyers. They were rearrested on Monday.
Tweah left the country after being invited for questioning by the LACC in connection with an alleged off-budget transfer of funds for security operations ahead of the 2023 elections.
His departure took place immediately after he was invited by the Office of the Program Manager/Monitoring & Investigations of the LACC.
The invitation letter, dated May 28, 2024, was for Tweah to provide details of his office facilitating an off-budget transfer of US$6.2 million to the Financial Intelligence Agency's (FIA) operational accounts (in USD and LRD currencies) held at the CBL.
The money was to allegedly support a National Joint Security Operations ahead of the 2023 General and Presidential Elections.
Accordingly, the total amounts of L$1,065,732,504.00 and US$599,598.20 were surreptitiously transferred to the FIA accounts held at the CBL and then immediately withdrawn by Stanley Ford and the Controller of the FIA and cannot be accounted for, the letter added.
Tweah was also expected to provide all relevant documents on the approval and transfer of the said funds covering the period under investigation to support his testimony.
He has denied these accusations, describing them as politically motivated. Charges against him include economic sabotage, theft, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.
The LACC moved to arrest him after charging him with economic sabotage (Fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia); misuse of public money, property, or record; theft and/or illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money), theft of property, money laundering, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The court document alleges that Tweah, in his role as Finance Minister, conspired to transfer funds unlawfully to the FIA and that some of the money could not be accounted for.
In his discharge of his duty, according to the indictment, Tweah knew fully well that L$1,055,152,540.00 and US$500,000.00 were never requested by the National Joint Security, but willingly conspired with Cllr. Tuan, then Acting Minister of Justice, and the Acting Chairman of the National Joint Security, thus causing the illegal transfer of the amount mentioned supra to the operational accounts (USD and LRD currencies) of the FIA; which cannot be accounted for.
The court document alleges, that on September 22, 2023, analysis of the Bank Statement of the FIA's United States Dollar Operational account (A/C #: 1502021605) held at the CBL shows that the Management of the CBL transferred the total amount of US$500,000.00 to the said account of the FIA as per the instruction from co-defendant Tweah, then Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
That same day (September 22, 2023) the said amount (US$500,000.00) was withdrawn by Cooper, the document claims.
It further alleges that between September 8 and 21, 2023 thereabout, analysis of the Bank Statement of the FIA's Liberian Dollar Operational account (A/C #: 1501008108), held at the CBL, shows that the Management of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) transferred the total amount of L$1,055,152,540.00 to the said account of FIA, as per the instruction from Tweah.
Also, between September 11, 2023, and October 17, 2023, the total amount of L$1,055,145,040 was withdrawn by Co-defendant Cooper, thus leaving a difference of L$7,500.00.
It alleges that, though Co-defendant Cllr. Tuan confirmed to the Investigation that the National Joint Security did receive the funds which were transferred to the FIA on its (Joint Security) behalf.
Cllr. Tuan, however, failed to show how much each group of the Joint Security received (if any), and how said funds were expended; or the mandate from the Minister of Justice; but a consultation between him (Cllr. Nyenati) and Co-defendant Jefferson Karmoh, then National Security Advisor to the President of Liberia.
According to the records, on September 5, 2023, exactly two months following the admittance of the FIA into the National Joint Security by Co-defendant Jefferson Karmoh, a letter with reference (NT/AM-SG/MOJ/050/2023/RL) under the signature of Co-defendant Nyenati Tuan, Solicitor General and then Acting Minister of Justice, was written to Co-defendant Stanley S. Ford, Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) informing him (Ford) that the National Joint Security of Liberia has secured funding for its operations and that the FIA had been designated for the channeling of said funds; and that upon the availability of the funds into the accounts of the FIA, Mr. Ford is instructed to release the said funds to the National Joint Security.
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The document noted that during the aforementioned period, the investigation did not establish any proof of documentary evidence that Co-defendant Nyenati Tuan letter to the FIA to receive and withdraw money transferred to its (FIA) operational Accounts for use by the National Joint Security was as a result of a directive or mandate from the Minister of Justice; but rather a consultation between him (Cllr. Nyenati) and Co-defendant Jefferson Karmoh, then National Security Advisor to the President of Liberia.
"The investigation established no proof of documentary evidence that the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) as an institution or its Director General requested to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for admittance into the National Joint Security, contrary to statement made by Mr. Jefferson Karmoh, former Security Advisor to President George M. Weah, that the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) requested through the Ministry of Justice(MOJ); neither is there any evidence of letter of instruction from the MOJ to Mr. Karmoh, which would have serve the basis for issuing to the FIA a letter admitting it to the National Joint security as mentioned in count-3 of the LACC's findings," the record claims.
