--Rejects Allegations of FIA Admittance, Fund Authorization
- Former National Security Advisor to ex-President George M. Weah, Mr. Jefferson Karmoh, has denied any involvement in or prior knowledge of the transfer of US$6.4 million at the center of an ongoing corruption trial, as well as accusations of criminal conspiracy.
Testifying on Thursday, April 30, Mr. Karmoh told the court that although he issued a security code to the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), he neither admitted the institution into the Joint Security apparatus nor authorized the channeling of public funds through it.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Responding to questions from the prosecution, the former security chief rejected suggestions that a letter he sent to the FIA constituted approval for the transfer of funds or admission of the agency into the national security structure.
According to Mr. Karmoh, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) indictment allegedly implicates him in a conspiracy with Counselor Nyanti Tuan, based on portions of a letter in which Cllr. Tuan reportedly stated that the decision to channel National Joint Security (NJS) funding through the FIA was made after consultation with him.
Mr. Karmoh, however, argued that investigators failed to confront him with that specific allegation during the probe. Instead, he said, he was only asked when he first became aware of the funds in question.
"The first time I heard about the money was when I received a carbon copy of Cllr. Tuan's letter to the FIA informing them that funds would be channeled through the agency," he told the court, adding that this was the only reason he mentioned Cllr. Tuan's name in his statement.
He further maintained that no evidence was presented to establish when or how the alleged consultation took place, whether by phone call, text message, or in person. Mr. Karmoh emphasized that in the entire year of 2023, to the best of his recollection, he never met with Cllr. Tuan.
Providing clarification on the controversial letter addressed to the FIA, Mr. Karmoh explained that the document merely assigned a security code, a routine administrative function within the national security communication system.
He said security codes are used as secret identifiers to facilitate communication on the national security radio network, noting that both institutions and individuals are assigned specific codes. For instance, he explained, the Liberia National Police operates under code "100," with sub-codes assigned to personnel within the institution.
"As National Security Advisor, I exercised technical control over that network. It was well within my authority to issue a code to the FIA," Mr. Karmoh stated.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He welcomed the prosecution's apparent acknowledgment that the code itself was not an issue, but challenged their interpretation of a line in the letter suggesting that the FIA was thereby part of the national Joint Security apparatus.
Describing that interpretation as a mischaracterization, Mr. Karmoh argued that the Joint Security arrangement is informal and not a legally constituted body capable of admitting members.
"No one -- not even the President as Chair of the National Security Council -- has the authority to admit an institution into the Joint Security apparatus," he asserted, adding that his letter was not a financial instrument and could not have served as authorization for the release or transfer of funds.
The trial continues.
