The political temperature is surging as Criminal Court 'C' digs into explosive allegations of jury tampering tied to former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr.'s May 8, 2026, acquittal -- one of Liberia's most politically charged corruption verdicts in years.
Presiding Judge Ousman Feika has now ordered all "non-parties" barred from the investigation hall, escalating a legal fight that pits judicial authority against transparency and threatens to upend the finality of a high-profile not-guilty verdict.
Judge Feika issued the exclusion order at the start of the tampering inquiry, declaring that "the integrity of this proceeding must be preserved above all else." Under the directive, only attorneys of record, court staff, and named parties may enter the hall where evidentiary hearings on the tampering claims are now underway.
The order followed affidavits from three of the 15 jurors alleging misconduct by some of their colleagues during the US$6.2 million economic sabotage trial -- claims that allegedly include documentary evidence and directly challenge the May 8 acquittals of Tweah and former Financial Intelligence Agency comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper.
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Judge Feika has summoned all trial jurors, the sheriff, bailiff, jury management officers, and police assigned to the juror quarters to appear before the court. Proceedings into a motion for a new trial filed by convicted co-defendants Jefferson Karmoh and Nyenati Tuan are now suspended pending the outcome of the misconduct probe.
The secrecy of Feika's approach collided with the Supreme Court last month. Justice in Chambers Yussif D. Kaba ruled that the investigation could proceed -- but only "in open court, with both prosecution and defense present," overturning Feika's initial plan for private interviews in chambers.
Tweah's lawyers had sought a writ of prohibition to block Feika from reopening proceedings after jurors were discharged. Justice Kaba denied the request on May 29, clearing Judge Feika to resume jurisdiction over the tampering allegations.
On May 8, 2026, a 12-member jury acquitted Tweah of all charges -- economic sabotage, theft of property, money laundering, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy -- tied to the alleged unauthorized handling of over US$6.2 million and L$1 billion in public funds through the Financial Intelligence Agency. Cooper was also fully cleared.
The same panel returned a mixed verdict: former Acting Justice Minister Cllr. Nyanti Tuan was convicted of theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy; former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh was found guilty of criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy. Ex-FIA Director General Stanley S. Ford received hung verdicts on several counts.
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The acquittals were hailed by the opposition CDC as "a victory for justice". Former President George Weah posted a message of praise and gratitude to God. Government supporters, meanwhile, called it a blow to anti-corruption efforts, though Justice Minister Oswald Tweh insisted the case showed "the growing strength of Liberia's justice system".
Legal analysts say the tampering probe pushes Liberia into uncharted territory. Cllr. Darryl Ambrose Nmah noted the Supreme Court may face an unprecedented question if convicted co-defendants appeal: whether it can convict a man the jury cleared when all five were tried together.
The Solicitor General, Cllr. Augustine Fayiah, said after the May 8 verdict that "the court has spoken and justice has been served". But with three jurors now alleging the panel was compromised, that finality is in doubt.
The Supreme Court's directive that the probe be public sets up a rare spectacle: a post-verdict jury misconduct hearing, in open court, with the same defense and prosecution teams that battled for 46 days. If Judge Feika finds credible evidence of tampering, the court could face motions to set aside the acquittals -- a move with massive political and constitutional implications.
For now, the hall is closed to the public. The case that was "not over yet" just got more volatile.
