Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, has been placed under travel restrictions by an Amended Writ of Ne Exeat Republica issued by Criminal Court 'C' of Montserrado County.
This legal action, instituted on Tuesday, October 1, is in response to allegations of economic sabotage, theft, and corruption involving Tweah and other officials from the previous George Weah administration. The writ prevents Tweah and his co-defendants, including from leaving Liberia as they face charges related to misappropriation of public funds.
The co-defendants include former Solicitor General Nyanti Tuan, Stanley S. Ford, former Director General Financial Intelligence Agency, D. Moses Cooper former Controller General Financial Intelligence Agency and Jefferson Karmoh former national security adviser to President George Weah.
Tweah's legal team challenged the original writ, arguing that its provisions, including seizing passports and potential detention without court clearance, were overly strict and lacked due process.
The initial writ, issued by Criminal Court 'C' of Montserrado County, ordered the seizure of the defendants' passports and mandated their court appearances if they attempted to travel abroad without proper clearance.
But following a review by Judge A. Blamo Dixon, an Amended Writ of Ne Exeat Republica was issued. This revised writ maintains restrictions on the defendants' travel but clarifies the terms for detention to ensure fair legal proceedings.
The charges against Tweah and his co-defendants involve allegations of fraudulent transfers of funds from the Central Bank of Liberia for personal use, resulting in financial losses to the state. While Tweah denies any wrongdoing, the case is significant in Liberia's anti-corruption efforts and underlines the country's commitment to transparency and legal accountability.
The amended writ establishes a balanced legal approach, emphasizing due process and the pursuit of justice while respecting the defendants' legal rights during the trial. This corruption case holds broader implications for Liberia's governance and the public's perception of accountability and rule of law.
The writ reads:
"Whereas it had been represented by his honor Blamo Dixon resident Circuit Court first Judicial Circuit Court Assizes 'C' for Montserrado County Republic of Liberia sitting in its August A.D 2024 term that the petitioner Republic of Liberia thru the Ministry of Justice herein filed before this court an application for Ne-Exeat Republic that defendants herein the above captioned case are about to leave from the bailiwick of Liberia to a foreign parts to the surprise of the petitioner/ plaintiff and the Assigned Judge having been duly stratified upon the application filed by the petitioner order writ of Ne-exeat Republica issued."
According to the writ, the defendants should only be arrested if they are leaving bailiwick of the country without court permission.
"You further commanded to arrest the living bodies of the defendants named above captioned case and bring forthwith bring them before this court upon their arrest and subsequently take their passports and return same over to the sheriff of Criminal Court 'C' Tina D. Morring for Montserrado County if they are attempting to leave the bailiwick of the country.
The writ instructs the authorities to arrest the defendants if they attempt to leave the country without court permission and to ensure their formal appearance in court, confirming the execution of the writ as required. In the event that the court is closed, the defendants may be detained until the next working day, unless they provide clearance from the court authorizing their departure.
Police invites Tweah for questioning
Former Minister Tweah on Wednesday responded to a Liberia National Police invitation to provide information regarding the mysterious death of former Internal Audit Agency (IAA) head Emmanuel Barthan Nyeswa during the former CDC government's administration.
Tweah, along with other former government officials, including ex-ministers of Health and the former National Port Authority Managing Director Senator, Wilhelmina Jallah and Bill Twehway, were requested to participate in questioning related to Nyeswa's passing.
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Represented by a legal team, Tweah appeared at the Liberia National Police headquarters to cooperate with the inquiry.
Nyeswa's lifeless body was discovered in his yard in the 72nd community in Paynesville in October 2023, leading to an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police Inspector General, Gregory Coleman, confirmed to reporters yesterday that interviews and inquiries have been conducted with several individuals of interest in connection to Nyeswa's demise.
Additional persons of interest have been identified for questioning by the Police, including Cllr. Norris Tweh, Dr. Emmanuel Wreh, and other individuals linked to the case.
He noted that the Liberia National Police's Cold Case Unit Crime Service Department is gathering information from these individuals to aid in the investigation of events following Nyeswa's death at his residence.
The cooperation of all involved parties is essential to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this incident, the LNP Inspector General noted.
