By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Stipendiary Magistrate Monrovia City Magisterial Court, His Honor L. Ben Barco on Thursday, August 1, 2024, transferred the case file of former officials of the Weah-led administration to the criminal court – A” presided over by His Honor, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie for the commencement of their trial. Dependents Samuel D Tweh, Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, Former Acting Minister of Justice
Stanley S Ford, Former Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency D Moses P Cooper, Former Comptroller, Financial Intelligence Agency And Jefferson Karmoh, Former National Security Advisor was charged with Economic Sabotage, Misuse of Public Money, property or Record, Theft and/or illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Theft of Property Criminal Facilitation, and Criminal Conspiracy.
“By directive of His Honor L. Ben Barco, Stipendiary Magistrate Monrovia City Magisterial Court, we are herewith forwarding you the case: REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA BY AND THRU: The Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti CorruptionCommission of the City of Monrovia, Liberia versus Samuel D Tweh, Former Minister of Finance and Developıment Planning, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, Former Acting Minister of Justice Stanley S Ford, Former Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency D Moses P Cooper, Former Comptroller, Financial Intelligence Agency And Jefferson Karmoh, Former National Security Advisor Of the City of Monrovia, Liberia.
DCFENDANT/S
Attached is the case file jacket CRIME Economic Sabotage, Misuse of Public Money, Property or Record. Theit and/illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Theft of Property Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy.” the City Court transfer letter read.
It can be recalled, that the Monrovia City Court issued a writ of arrest for the former officials and was jailed based upon the oath and complaint by the Republic of Liberia by and through the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
According to the Writ, an elaborate scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Government of Liberia, in July 2023, Defendants conspired with Co-Defendant Stanley S. Ford, and made him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia, in total violation and contravention of the National Security Act of Liberia.
The Writ intimated that at various times in September 2023, the Defendants, in carrying out their diabolical scheme and conspiracy and under the pretense of discharging their duties as officials of the Joint Security of Liberia, unauthorizedly, criminally, willfully, illegally, knowingly, and maliciously, with the intent to defraud the Government of Liberia, stole and converted to their use and benefit, and did conspire, collude and made to be transferred, from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to the operational accounts of the FIA the amounts of LS1,055,152,540.00 and US$5000,000.00. The amounts of LS1,055.145,040.00 and S$500,000.00.
The Writ stated that those former government officials subsequently withdrew the said money either on the same day of the transfers or a few days thereafter, without any indication or record of how the amounts were disbursed or utilized by the Joint Security of Liberia, in complete and total violations of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
Accordingly, the alleged act of the Defendants being unlawful, wicked, illegal, and intentional is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein the Defendants did do and commit. Hence, this Writ of Arrest is contrary to the form and effect of the statutory laws of Liberia in such cases made and provided against the peace and dignity of this Republic.
According to sources, the former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, is out of the Country. However, the former government officials need a$6.5million, bond to get out of Monrovia Central Prison.
