-In US$6.2 Million Corruption Trial
By Vaye Lepolu
The fifteen men Juries panel in the high-profile Corruption trial involving former Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., and co-defendants, is currently in the deliberation room to come out with a guilty or not guilty verdict in the trial.
The case reached its decisive phase, with both prosecution and defense concluding their presentation and final argument in the trial on Friday, May 8, 2026.
The case, which has attracted widespread public and institutional attention in Liberia, now rests in the hands of the jury, which is currently deliberating on charges involving the alleged mismanagement of public funds.
In a key rebuttal testimony, Baba Mohammed Boika of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission dismissed defense arguments that the prosecution’s case is based on speculation. Boika told the court that the investigation revealed verified financial movements involving large public funds, emphasizing that the central issue remains unanswered: which joint security agency actually received the money.
According to him, institutions consulted during the investigation denied receiving any of the contested funds. The court heard that significant government transfers were made in September 2023, including over L$1.05 billion and US$500,000. The funds were reportedly moved from state accounts to the Financial Intelligence Agency on September 8, 19, and 21, 2023.
The prosecution maintains that these transactions were executed without legislative approval and in violation of financial regulations.
“These are established facts supported by documentary evidence,” Boika stated, insisting the transactions cannot be justified without clear identification of beneficiaries.
Defense counsel, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, strongly rejected the allegations, arguing that the transactions were lawful and conducted within national security protocols. He told the court that the funds in question, including an estimated US$6.4 million, were used for emergency security operations, referencing regional tensions such as the Guinea–Liberia border situation.
Johnson further argued that security-related expenditures are inherently classified and not subject to ordinary public disclosure requirements.
He also challenged the prosecution’s demand for detailed records such as CCTV footage and transactional breakdowns, describing them as inappropriate for classified operations.
A major point of disagreement remains whether the defendants can identify the specific security agencies that received the funds. The prosecution insists that failure to do so raises serious accountability concerns.
Prosecutors argued that public funds must be fully accounted for and stressed that Liberia’s Public Financial Management (PFM) law provides for criminal sanctions in cases of misuse of state resources.
They further told the jury that national development priorities require transparency rather than secrecy in the handling of public money. Presiding Judge of Criminal Court “C” reminded jurors to base their decision strictly on evidence and law, warning against sympathy or external influence.
With both sides having formally rested their cases, the trial now moves into closing arguments before the jury retires to deliberate. The outcome of the case is expected to have far-reaching consequences for public financial accountability, the management of national security funds, and anti-corruption enforcement in Liberia.
