Published: September 25, 2024
Monrovia — Samuel D. Tweah Jr., Liberia’s former Finance Minister, surrendered to Criminal Court ‘C’ on Wednesday morning after arriving in the country Tuesday night. Tweah, along with ex-National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh and former Solicitor General Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, faces multiple charges, including economic sabotage, fraud, and criminal conspiracy. Following his surrender, the court granted Tweah an $8 million bail, setting his trial for November 12.
These indictments stem from an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) which has accused the former officials of orchestrating a scheme that diverted over L$1 billion and US$500,000 from the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). These funds, meant for national security and financial oversight, reportedly disappeared under dubious circumstances between September 8 and 21, 2023.
The LACC’s investigations revealed that Tweah allegedly authorized these hefty transfers without proper approval from Liberia’s National Joint Security or the National Security Council. The LACC stated that there was no documented need or request for these funds, raising questions about the legality of the transactions.
Once transferred, the funds quickly vanished with withdrawals made by D. Moses P. Cooper, then Acting Financial Controller of the FIA. According to court documents, nearly all the transferred funds were withdrawn in just over a month, leaving a mere L$7,500 in the account.
The LACC further revealed that Cllr. Tuan, then acting as Minister of Justice, was aware of the transferred funds but failed to provide records on their usage. Despite his written instructions to release the funds upon their deposit, no further documentary evidence of their intended use has been uncovered.
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