Published: February 13, 2026
MONROVIA — The Supreme Court of Liberia has affirmed the 2015 conviction of former National Drug Service (NDS) official Wesley S. Jlue, ruling that the evidence presented at trial, including a voluntary confession, was sufficient to sustain the jury’s guilty verdict.
In its final opinion delivered Thursday, the High Court rejected Jlue’s appeal and upheld the lower court’s judgment, finding no reversible error in the proceedings.
Jlue was convicted in 2015 in connection with financial transactions conducted while serving at the National Drug Service. According to the Supreme Court’s opinion, he opened two unauthorized bank accounts at First International Bank and listed himself as the sole signatory.
The Court found that Jlue withdrew and disbursed funds from those accounts to individuals, including relatives who were not employees of the NDS.
The misappropriated amounts totaled $179,183.06 and L$958,247.80, the Court said, depriving the agency of public funds.
On appeal, Jlue argued that he acted under the instructions of a superior officer and therefore should not bear criminal responsibility. He also challenged the admissibility of his confession, contending that it should have been excluded.
The Supreme Court rejected both arguments.
In its opinion, the Court held that obedience to an unlawful directive does not absolve an individual of criminal liability.
The justices ruled that a public official who knowingly executes an unlawful act cannot evade responsibility by claiming superior instruction, particularly where the conduct results in financial crime.
The Court further found that Jlue’s confession was properly admitted at trial.
According to the opinion, the appellant was informed of his constitutional rights prior to making the statement and had legal counsel present during the process. The confession was deemed voluntary and corroborated by independent evidence.
Although Jlue later attempted to repudiate the statement, claiming he was ill-advised by counsel, the Court held that dissatisfaction with legal representation after the fact does not invalidate a confession that meets constitutional standards.
After reviewing the record, the Supreme Court concluded that the totality of the evidence supported the jury’s verdict.
“The guilty verdict rendered by the jury and affirmed by the trial court is hereby upheld,” the Court stated.
The ruling brings to a close more than a decade of litigation arising from the NDS financial misconduct case and affirms the principle that public officials remain personally accountable for unlawful financial transactions, regardless of rank or claimed instructions from superiors.
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