Dissatisfied with its own witnesses--especially the gaps exposed during William Grant Jlopleh, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) Director of Banking's testimony--the prosecution in Criminal Court "C" is now pressing the CBL for fresh evidence tied to the disputed September 2023 transfers, at the center of the US$6.2million trial.
The bank has been subpoenaed to appear again on Monday, March 30, 2026, to produce additional banking records, cheques and correspondence--and to make other officials available to testify.
The CBL was first summoned to bring the originals of three transfer letters--dated September 8, 19 and 21, 2023--allegedly written by former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. for CBL approval, authorizing movements from the government's consolidated account to the FIA.
On the stand, Jlopleh, confirmed that the three letters were received and the transactions were executed.
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Jlopleh stressed that withdrawals from government accounts require a multi-signatory mandate--at minimum two authorized signatories--naming former Comptroller General Janga A. Kowo and former Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs Samora Wolokolie.
Jlopleh went on that, "no single official, not even the finance minister, could unilaterally authorize the transactions."
He also noted that the bank does not keep original cheques; they are routinely returned to the originating institutions with monthly statements.
While Jlopleh was still on the stand explaining CBL policy, the prosecution moved for additional subpoenas directed at CBL management--seeking ledgers on returned cheques, bank statements and the cheques themselves for September-October 2023.
The defense objected, calling it a "fishing expedition" and procedurally irregular.
The defense argued that "in our practice, where a subpoenaed witness is on the stand--particularly on direct examination--a request for additional subpoenas should not be entertained until the examination of that witness is exhausted," i.e., after direct, cross, redirect and re-cross, and formal discharge."
Judge Ousman F. Feika agreed with the defense's procedural point but allowed the prosecution request for subpoena
He ruled the request premature at this stage, "directing that the witness be fully examined first--prosecution to finish direct, defense to cross, then redirect/re-cross as appropriate--and discharged."
Feika said, after that, the state "may renew its application by proper motion, specifying with particularity the documents sought, their relevance and materiality, the custodian(s) in possession, and the basis for their production."
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The court ordered the CBL to be ready to produce records and witnesses on March 30, 2026.
Complicating the prosecution's case, its first subpoenaed witness, FIA Chief of Staff Edward J. Blamah, testified under oath that the agency "could not locate any of the documents requested" despite a subpoena duces tecum--an admission that left the state without the FIA's internal paper trail. Prosecutors have signaled they will lean more on witness testimony and circumstantial evidence while they pursue the bank records.
The trial--brought by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC)--also names former Acting Justice Minister Nyenati (Nyanti) Tuan, former FIA Director Stanley S. Ford (Forh), former FIA Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper, and former National Security Adviser Jefferson Karmoh. Prosecutors allege that between September 8 and 22, 2023, roughly L$1.055 billion (about US $ 5.4-5.6 million at the time) and US$500,000 were moved from the CBL into FIA operational accounts, then withdrawn.
The indictment contends the transfers lacked proper authorization; the defense has argued they were tied to national-security operations; a claim the Supreme Court has already ruled does not confer blanket immunity on subordinate officials.
A senior legal practitioners confided in this reporter that with the FIA unable to produce its records, the prosecution is turning to the CBL's ledgers, returned-cheque records and custodians to rebuild it case--while the court insists the current CBL witness be fully examined before any new subpoenas are entertained. "This is not good for the prosecution case," the lawyer emphasized.
