MONROVIA - Eugene Lenn Nagbe, Chief of Office Staff to former President George Weah, says the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) is treating the renewed legal scrutiny of former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah and the detention of former Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo as a political battle rather than a purely judicial process.
Appearing on OK FM, Nagbe accused the Unity Party-led government of using the justice system to pursue political opponents, arguing that recent developments involving former officials of the Weah administration have undermined public confidence in the independence of Liberia's courts.
Nagbe's remarks come as authorities continue investigating allegations of jury tampering following Tweah's acquittal in a high-profile corruption case, while Bundoo remains before the courts over separate criminal charges.
Speaking on Tweah's case, Nagbe argued that the former finance minister had already been exonerated through due process after a jury found him not guilty.
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"What is happening is an attempt to use extrajudicial means to bring him back before a kangaroo body," Nagbe said. "The case was heard, the jury deliberated, they came up with a verdict and declared him not guilty."
Nagbe criticized authorities for subsequently questioning and arresting several jurors, saying the panel had already completed its constitutional duty before being disbanded.
He argued that, because jurors were under court supervision during the trial, allegations of improper influence should have been addressed before the verdict rather than afterward.
According to Nagbe, statements made by some jurors following their arrest reinforce the CDC's belief that they are being punished simply for carrying out their civic responsibility.
He said the party has therefore concluded that the matter is no longer a matter of law but of politics.
"This whole matter is a political affair," Nagbe said. "As the Congress for Democratic Change, we've decided that this is a political matter and we'll handle it politically."
Nagbe said the CDC remains a legally registered political institution and intends to employ lawful political means to oppose what it considers politically motivated actions against its members.
"The CDC is a registered legal political institution. We have political tools at our disposal," he said.
Pressed repeatedly by the program's host on whether the party intends to organize street protests, Nagbe declined to disclose specific plans but insisted every lawful political option remains available.
"We'll roll every step out," he said. "Protest is one word, but we have a slew of available tools as one of Liberia's biggest political parties."
Nagbe described the government's actions as an attack not only on Tweah but on the CDC itself.
"This is a political fight against one of our very senior founding members," he said. "It's an attack not on Samuel Tweah alone, but an attack on the CDC."
He added that the party intends to respond forcefully within the confines of the law.
"We have political tools at our disposal that we have to utilize and that we will utilize," Nagbe said.
Turning to the case involving former Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo, Nagbe condemned the court's decision requiring an US$8 million criminal appearance bond, describing the amount as excessive and inconsistent with her constitutional right to bail.
"It's very unfortunate because the right to bail is constitutional," Nagbe said. "The judge said the bond should be US$8 million. That's excessive."
Nagbe disclosed that Bundoo's lawyers are seeking relief from a higher court to challenge the lower court's decision.
"One of the things our lawyers are going to do is to question his action by going to a higher court," he said.
He argued that if prosecutors possess compelling evidence against Bundoo, they should focus on presenting that evidence during trial rather than pursuing what he characterized as unnecessary pretrial detention.
"If the state has a strong case against Finda, they should be anxious for the trial to start," Nagbe said. "Instead, they're anxious to jail her before the trial."
Nagbe further alleged that the government's approach reflects a broader strategy aimed at humiliating former CDC officials instead of securing convictions based on evidence.
"The aim is not to win cases," he said. "The aim is to disgrace people and to subjugate CDC officials."
As an example, Nagbe cited the case involving former Commerce Minister Mawine G. Diggs, arguing that the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force previously announced publicly that she had been blocked from traveling, even though, according to him, only a court has the authority to impose such restrictions.
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Nagbe noted that Diggs later sought permission from the court to travel, was granted approval, traveled abroad, and subsequently returned to Liberia, which he said demonstrated that former officials have not sought to evade the judicial process.
He maintained that former officials of the Weah administration are prepared to defend themselves in court but object to what they view as politically driven prosecutions.
The Unity Party administration has consistently rejected allegations that it is weaponizing the justice system against political opponents. Government officials have maintained that ongoing corruption investigations and prosecutions are being conducted independently and in accordance with Liberian law, emphasizing that all accused persons are entitled to due process and that the courts--not politicians--will determine the outcome of pending cases.
The legal proceedings involving Tweah, Bundoo and other former officials of the Weah administration remain before the courts.
