Criminal Court 'A' Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie has given government prosecutors a seven-day ultimatum to turn over all evidence in their possession to defense lawyers in the corruption trial of former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and three others. The directive comes in the wake of the recusal of Criminal Court 'C' Judge A. Blamo Dixon, who stepped aside from presiding over the case after being accused of bias.
The issue was raised during a closed-door session in Criminal Court 'C' on Monday, February 12, 2025, when defense lawyers complained that they had yet to receive any evidence from the prosecution, despite the case being set for trial. Judge Willie informed both parties that once the prosecution complies with the order, a pre-trial conference will be held to pave the way for the trial's commencement.
Originally, the trial was scheduled to begin on February 12, but the prosecution's failure to provide the required evidence led to its postponement until Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Judge Dixon's recusal was ordered on January 2, 2025, by Chamber Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, following a writ of certiorari filed against him, which alleged that he had compromised his impartiality in the case.
Under Liberia's Criminal Procedure Law, Chapter 17, Section 17.2, pretrial examination of records and documents is a compulsory requirement before the commencement of a trial. The law mandates that books, papers, and other relevant materials subpoenaed by the court be made available for review by both parties before they are introduced as evidence in court.
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Corruption Charges Against Tweah and Others
Former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, former Acting Justice Minister and Solicitor General Nyanti Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Controller D. Moses P. Cooper, former FIA Director General Stanley S. Ford, and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh were indicted during the August 2024 Term of Court. They face multiple charges, including economic sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia, misuse of public money, theft, money laundering, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that the former officials, who served under the administration of former President George Weah, misappropriated L$1,055,152,540.00 billion and US$500,000.00 during their tenure. The case originated from a complaint filed by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) through the Ministry of Justice.
On December 20, 2024, Tweah and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges after the indictment was read in open court, signaling their intent to contest the allegations.
