-In $6.2M Corruption Trial
By Vaye Abel Lepolu
Monrovia, Liberia – May 8, 2026 – Criminal Court “C” has acquitted former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah of all charges in a high-profile corruption case involving more than US$6.2 million, delivering a mixed verdict that convicted three other co-defendants on related counts. Following nearly an hour of deliberations behind closed doors on Friday, a 12-member jury panel found Tweah not guilty of economic sabotage, theft of public funds, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy, and money laundering.
Tweah, a prominent figure in the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), had faced intense scrutiny over state fund transfers executed in late 2023. In contrast, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, the former Acting Minister of Justice, on charges of criminal facilitation and theft. Stanley Ford was convicted of theft of property, while former Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh was found not guilty of economic sabotage and theft but guilty of criminal facilitation.
The case reached its decisive phase after both the prosecution and defense concluded presentations and final arguments on Friday. During the trial, Baba Mohammed Boika of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission delivered key rebuttal testimony, dismissing defense claims that the prosecution’s case rested on speculation. Boika told the court that investigators had verified financial movements involving large public funds, adding that the central question remained unanswered: which joint security agency actually received the money?
He testified that institutions consulted during the investigation denied receiving any of the contested funds. The court heard that major government transfers occurred in September 2023, including more than L$1.05 billion and US$500,000, moved from state accounts to the Financial Intelligence Agency on September 8, 19, and 21 of that year.
The prosecution argued that the transactions lacked legislative approval and violated financial regulations. “These are established facts supported by documentary evidence,” Boika stated, insisting the transfers could not be justified without clear identification of beneficiaries.
In response, defense counsel Cllr. Arthur Johnson rejected the allegations, arguing the transactions were lawful and executed under national security protocols. He told the court the funds—estimated at US$6.4 million—were used for emergency security operations, citing regional tensions along the Guinea–Liberia border. Johnson maintained that security expenditures are inherently classified and not subject to ordinary public disclosure, and he challenged the prosecution’s demand for detailed records such as CCTV footage as inappropriate for covert operations.
A central point of contention remained whether defendants could identify the specific security agencies that received the funds. The prosecution insisted that the failure to do so raised serious accountability concerns, arguing that public funds must be fully accounted for under Liberia’s Public Financial Management (PFM) law, which provides criminal sanctions for misuse of state resources.
Prosecutors further told the jury that national development priorities demand transparency, not secrecy, in handling public money. Presiding Judge of Criminal Court “C” reminded jurors to base their decisions strictly on the evidence and the law, warning against sympathy or external influence.
