Published: April 20, 2026
MONROVIA — Samuel D. Tweah Jr. took the witness stand Monday at Criminal Court ‘C’ in the Temple of Justice, becoming the first major defense witness in his own economic sabotage trial as his legal team moved to dismantle the prosecution’s case piece by piece.
The former Finance and Development Planning Minister faces charges of economic sabotage, money laundering, criminal conspiracy and theft of property — allegations that he and several co-defendants orchestrated the unauthorized transfer and management of millions of dollars in public funds during their tenure in government. The charges carry severe penalties under Liberian law.
Tweah’s decision to testify is a calculated one. After weeks of prosecution witnesses, the defense is now presenting its case, and putting its principal defendant on the stand signals confidence — and risk. His testimony is expected to offer detailed explanations of the authorization, purpose and execution of the disputed transactions, with his legal team arguing that the financial decisions were made under extraordinary national circumstances and fell within the scope of legitimate government authority.
“Administrative or procedural lapses, if any, do not rise to the level of criminal conduct,” defense lawyers have argued throughout the proceedings.
The prosecution enters this phase under pressure. Its case suffered a notable blow last week when Tanneh Brunson, Deputy Finance Minister for Budget, acknowledged under cross-examination that while certain financial processes may not have strictly followed standard procedures, the actions were not necessarily unlawful. The concession struck at a central pillar of the state’s argument, that the transactions were not merely irregular but deliberately criminal.
Defense lawyers have since pressed those inconsistencies hard, pointing to gaps between witness statements and investigative findings.
Intent is now the central battleground. Proving economic sabotage requires the prosecution to establish not just that procedures were violated, but that Tweah and his co-defendants acted with deliberate criminal purpose. His testimony Monday is aimed squarely at that question. Prosecutors are expected to challenge his account aggressively during cross-examination.
The trial has drawn sustained public attention, both because of Tweah’s prominence as a former senior official in the Weah administration and because of what the case represents for accountability in Liberia’s governance.
The proceedings continue.
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