Published: October 2, 2025
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia — The Supreme Court of Liberia has temporarily blocked the arrest of former Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, suspending a Civil Law Court order that had named him part of an alleged “criminal cartel” tied to the disputed sale of a 53.34-carat diamond valued by the lower court at US$11.5 million.
The stay order issued September 30 by the Chamber Justice of the Supreme Court came after Dean’s legal team petitioned for a writ of certiorari, asking the higher court to review what they described as serious errors in the Civil Law Court’s ruling.
The intervention means that Judge J. Boima Kontoe’s order for Dean’s arrest will not be enforced while the Supreme Court weighs the merits of the petition. The directive cited all parties, including Judge Kontoe, to appear before Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wolokollie on October 16 at 1 p.m. for a conference on the case.
Why the Arrest Was Halted
At the heart of the Supreme Court’s decision is the legal argument that Dean, as Attorney General in 2023, was performing his statutory duties under Chapter 22 of the Executive Law, which empowers the Justice Ministry to provide legal opinions and represent the government in commercial disputes.
Dean contends that his involvement in the diamond case, particularly his chairmanship of the joint investigation panel that probed the gem’s discovery and ownership, was part of his official mandate. His lawyers argue that arresting him over actions taken in his official capacity violates Article 21(i) of the Constitution, which protects public officials from being held personally liable for lawful acts done in the course of their duties.
Background of the Dispute
The dispute traces back to April 21, 2023, when miner Mohammed Kamara (“JR”) discovered the diamond at Claim 12/F Survey, Gbarma Mining District, Gbarpolu County.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy, supported by Dean’s Justice Ministry, argued that because the mining license for that claim had expired on May 25, 2022, the diamond belonged to the state under Article 22(a) of the Constitution, which vests ownership of mineral resources in the Republic.
Two licensed miners, David Sluward and Abraham Kamara, challenged the government’s seizure of the gem, claiming private ownership. The Civil Law Court ruled in their favor, rejecting the government’s claim. The Weah-era administration appealed, but the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling, effectively confirming that the diamond was not state property.
Despite the appellate loss, Judge Kontoe recently accused Dean and several former officials, including ex-Mines Minister Gesler E. Murray, Mustapha Tounkara of the Diamond Dealers Association, and others, of forming a “criminal cartel” to unlawfully dispose of the diamond. He ordered their arrest and detention at the Monrovia Central Prison unless they accounted for the gem’s whereabouts.
The Ministry’s 2023 Position
In a January 3, 2023 press release, the Ministry of Mines and Energy stated that the diamond had been fully documented, appraised, and exported in compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS).
The gem’s appraised value, according to the Ministry’s Gold and Diamond Office and an independent KPCS valuator, was US$1,003,880.55—far below the US$11.5 million cited in court.
The Ministry further disclosed that the exporter paid the government US$80,146.78 in royalties and fines, including a 3 percent royalty tax of US$30,116.42 and a US$50,000 penalty for acquiring the diamond from a claim with an expired license.
The Supreme Court’s stay applies only to Dean, meaning other defendants remain subject to Judge Kontoe’s arrest order.
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