-Former VP Taylor Denounces Statement That NPP Supports Prosecution of Ex-Officials
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, the Standard Bearer of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), has refuted claims made by Mr. George Mulbah during a recent press conference. Mulbah suggested that he had been authorized by the NPP leadership to speak on behalf of the party, particularly regarding the alleged prosecution of former officials from the Weah administration.
“I have read with shock and dismay Mr. George Mulbah’s press conference in which he intimated that the NPP leadership authorized him to speak on behalf of our party, that the NPP supports the prosecution of Former Weah Government Officials. As the Standard Bearer of the NPP, let me be unequivocally clear that Mr. Mulbah’s statement is his personal opinion, and the NPP as an institution has given him no such mandate to make such a statement,” she said.
Taylor expressed her shock and dismay at Mulbah’s assertions, clarifying that his statements do not reflect the official position of the NPP. “It is even comical that Mr. Mulbah would make such an uninformed and unauthorized statement when he was employed by the same government as acting head of the Liberian Airport Authority; whose records are now being audited and there are hints of impropriety and misuse of office by Mr. Mulbah,” she remarked, alluding to potential improprieties linked to his past position.
The former vice president further stated: “My advice is that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The controversy arises amid ongoing audits of the Liberian Airport Authority, where Mulbah previously served as acting head. Taylor pointed out the irony of Mulbah’s comments, given the scrutiny surrounding his tenure in that role.
Indictment and incarceration
The Monrovia City Court on Monday, July 29, 2024, indicted and issued arrest warrants for five former high-ranking officials of the Liberian government, including Samuel D. Tweah, the former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, and Clr. Nyenati Tuan, the former Acting Minister of Justice, former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, ex-Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Unit (now FIA) D. Moses P. Cooper, and former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Stanley Ford.
Cllr. Tuan, Karmoh, and Moses P. Cooper were incarcerated after failing to present a criminal appearance bond, as they could not afford the amount required for economic sabotage. Judge Ben Barcon denied their request for a personal recognizance bond. Their charges stem from allegations of economic sabotage and misuse of public funds, among other serious offenses.
Also on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, President Joseph Boakai suspended Aloysius Tarlue, the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), in light of a recent audit report released by the General Auditing Commission (GAC). The audit, which examined the bank’s operations from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023, uncovered alarming instances of non-compliance and governance failures. Howbeit, President Boakai on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, named Mr. Henry F. Saamoi as Acting Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
Tweah and others’ indictments and arrest (warrants) were issued following a formal complaint lodged by the Republic of Liberia, represented by the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). The defendants are accused of orchestrating a complex scheme to defraud the government, which allegedly took place in July 2023, in the total amount allegedly stolen includes L$1,055,152,540.00 and US$5,000,000.00, which were reportedly transferred to the FIA’s operational accounts.
Like the former Finance Minister and others,
former President George Manneh Weah, the Standard Bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), during a media engagement on July 31, 2024, condemned the recent actions of the Unity Party (UP) administration and accused it of orchestrating unlawful detentions aimed at silencing political opposition.
However, many Liberians have voiced their support for the government’s actions, dismissing claims that the indictments constitute a political witch-hunt. At a press conference on Tuesday, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah quoted the LACC report by noting that “1.5 billion Liberian Dollars and 500k USD was withdrawn from the CBL account on the order of (Former Finance Minister) Samuel Tweh”.
