Temple of Justice, Monrovia, Liberia, February 24, 2026: Liberia's Solicitor General, Cllr. Augustine Fayiah has expressed strong confidence in a swift resolution of the ongoing criminal trial involving former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah and others.
His optimism, he says, stems from the alleged admission and confession by Tweah and his co-defendants to the crimes charged.
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Criminal Court "C" resumed full jurisdiction over the high-profile economic sabotage case against ex-officials of the former Coalition for Democratic Change government, led by President George M. Weah. This followed a mandate from Chamber Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wolokolie.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
During Tuesday's hearing, the Supreme Court's mandate was read aloud to both parties, who agreed to proceed with the trial. The defendants and their legal counsel were present for the reading of the high court mandate.
Cllr. Fayiah, speaking to journalists after the proceedings, reiterated the government's readiness to move forward, predicting an expedited trial. He suggested that, given the defendants' reported admissions, the case could be among the shortest corruption trials in Liberia's recent history.
"So, the mandate was read in open court to them today. The mandate says the court should resume jurisdiction over the case, and there is nothing else to be done because the people admitted that they took the money. So, they took the money. Also, possibly, we expect this case to be one of the shortest economic sabotage cases in the history of the country," he concluded.
The case arises from investigations prompted by public outcry over off-budget spending and alleged irregular withdrawals from government accounts during the final years of former President Weah's administration.
Samuel Tweah, Nyenati Tuan, Moses Cooper, Stanley Ford, and Jefferson Karmoh have been indicted for allegedly stealing US$6 million and L$1 billion.
The defense, led by Cllr. Arthur Johnson, has argued that the funds in question were used for national security and that, as such, his clients should be immune from prosecution. However, the Supreme Court has clarified that presidential immunity does not extend to other government officials.
At the heart of the charges are allegations that the accused orchestrated a scheme to plunder public resources, violating Liberia's Anti-Money Laundering and Economic Crimes laws.
The Supreme Court's mandate, transmitted through Criminal Court "C," removes a legal obstacle that had temporarily stalled one of Liberia's most closely watched corruption-related prosecutions.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants authorized and managed financial transactions in ways inconsistent with Liberia's public financial management laws, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the handling of state resources.
From the outset, the defense mounted a constitutional challenge, asserting that the expenditures were tied to national security and shielded from criminal scrutiny. However, findings compiled by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and state prosecutors led to formal charges against Tweah and his co-defendants.
Since the indictments, proceedings have drawn intense public and political scrutiny. Governance advocates have framed the trial as a test of Liberia's anti-corruption resolve, while supporters of the accused have described the prosecution as politically motivated.
The prosecution's case details fraudulent activity, including the alleged illegal transfer of funds into the Financial Intelligence Agency's (FIA) operational accounts in both US and Liberian dollars--transactions for which the prosecution claims there is no adequate accounting.
According to the indictment, between September 8 and 21, 2023, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) transferred a total of L$1,055,152,540 (about US$5.6 million at an exchange rate of L$190) into the FIA's operational accounts, on the instruction of then-Minister Tweah. The prosecution presented as evidence transfer instructions from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, which the CBL submitted to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
On September 22, 2023, the CBL transferred US$500,000 into the FIA's United States dollar operational account (A/C #: 1502021605), also on the finance minister's instruction. The prosecution entered the bank statement for this account.
That same day, D. Moses P. Cooper, then FIA's Acting Financial Comptroller, withdrew the US$500,000 from the CBL account.
However, the investigation found no documentary evidence, neither from the National Security Council, the National Joint Security, nor the FIA itself, authorizing Tweah to approve or effect the transfer of these amounts to the FIA account.
Neither the L$1,055,152,540 nor the US$500,000 was requested or properly authorized, prosecutors alleged. Instead, Tweah is accused of conspiring with Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, then Acting Justice Minister and Acting Chairman of the National Joint Security, to cause the illegal transfer of funds to the FIA's operational accounts for subsequent withdrawal.
