-Former Justice Minister Dean pushes back
Former Justice Minister and Attorney General, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean Jr. has urged Liberians to end the culture of blanket accusations against public officials, warning that the growing tendency to label all government servants as corrupt is discouraging honest and patriotic citizens from public service.
Dean's call follows a ruling by the Supreme Court of Liberia that cleared him of allegations linked to the handling and sale of a 53.34-carat diamond discovered in Gbarpolu County. The Court ruled that he was improperly targeted in enforcement actions stemming from an earlier judgment in the case.
Speaking in a WhatsApp interview on December 20, 2025, Dean said public service in Liberia is increasingly being treated as a crime rather than a civic duty. "Sooner or later, good people will refuse to serve in government," he cautioned, noting that such an environment only creates space for "corrupt and unpatriotic individuals" to thrive.
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He expressed concern over what he described as rising anger, envy, and hostility among citizens, urging Liberians to channel their energy toward national development rather than personal attacks. "We should thank people for their public service and not seek to destroy them," he emphasized.
Reflecting on his time as Justice Minister, Dean acknowledged that he was heavily criticized from all sides but said he remained steadfast in his commitment to the rule of law. He highlighted the conduct of Liberia's most recent elections, which he said were held peacefully under his oversight of the security apparatus, as evidence of fairness and transparency.
On Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that a bill of information filed against Dean was procedurally defective. The justices held that the Court's earlier mandate regarding the diamond could not lawfully be enforced against former officials who were neither personally named nor adjudged liable in the original judgment.
The case originated from the discovery of the 53.34-carat diamond in April 2023 at Smith Town in the Gbarma Mining District of Gbarpolu County. Although the Supreme Court had ordered the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to return the diamond or its monetary equivalent, the Court found that the mandate did not assign personal responsibility to Dean.
"A mandate growing out of a judgment of this Court rendered against the Government of Liberia cannot lawfully be enforced against former officials who were not personally named or adjudged liable," the Court ruled.
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Consequently, the justices determined that the trial court acted improperly by enforcing the mandate against Dean and ordered the lower court to resume jurisdiction consistent with the Supreme Court's judgment. Costs were disallowed. Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard Woiokolie withheld her signature, while Justice Boakai N. Kanneh did not participate.
The dispute began after the Weah-era government seized the diamond, claiming state ownership under Article 22(a) of the Constitution. Licensed miners David Sluward and Abraham Kamara challenged the seizure and won at the Civil Law Court, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court.
During the enforcement of that ruling, the trial court ordered the arrest of several former officials, including Dean, prompting him to seek Supreme Court intervention. His arrest was subsequently stayed, and the latest ruling has now removed him from personal liability in the matter.
"Serving your country should not make you a target," Cllr. Dean said, renewing his appeal for Liberians to judge public officials fairly and individually, based on evidence, not assumption. Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
