Monrovia – Former President George Weah has condemned the Unity Party administration’s recent actions, including the arrest and detention of several key officials from his administration without indictment. Weah criticized the move as a political tactic aimed at undermining the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the broader opposition community.
Weah made the statement at the CDC headquarters on Wednesday.
On Monday, two prominent ex-officials from the George Weah administration, Former Solicitor General, Cllr. Nyenate Tuan, and former Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison. This followed a decision by the magistrate of the Monrovia City Court, L. Ben Barco, who denied their lawyer’s petition for recognizance, despite no objection from the prosecution. Additionally, D. Moses P. Cooper, the comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), was implicated in the case.
Others still to be arrested include Samuel D. Tweah and Stanley S. Ford, former Director of the FIA. According to the Writ of Arrest, an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) found that they allegedly orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to defraud the government. The allegations detail a conspiracy that began in July 2023, where the ex-officials are accused of colluding to defraud the Government of Liberia.
The writ states that in September 2023, under the guise of performing their official duties, the defendants allegedly orchestrated unauthorized and illegal transfers from the Central Bank of Liberia. The funds in question amount to L$1,055,145,040.00 (US$5,467,072.75) and US$500,000.00, which were allegedly stolen and converted for personal use.
These funds were reportedly withdrawn shortly after the transfers without any documentation of their intended use or disbursement. The act is described as unlawful, wicked, and intentional, violating the New Penal Law of Liberia. The charges include economic sabotage under Section 15.80 (a)(b)(c), misuse of public money or property, theft, illegal disbursement, expenditure of public money, theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
In his reaction to the arrests, former President Weah accused the Joseph Boakai administration of several troubling actions, including the removal of civil servants from payroll based on party lines. He condemned the excessive use of force against citizens, which has resulted in several deaths, and criticized the administration’s failure to prosecute election-related deaths that were captured on camera.
Weah specifically criticized President Boakai’s recent suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, describing it as a clear violation of the institution’s founding act. “The Unity Party can be assured that the CDC will use all legal and political means at its disposal to resist this move to weaponize the country’s judicial system to its selfish advantage,” Weah declared. “Yes, Mr. Boakai, your actions to politicize justice will be resisted and resisted strongly.”
According to Weah, the Unity Party has ignored legal and constitutional principles and pursued reckless measures that have historically brought disorder and confusion to Liberia. He emphasized the importance of adhering to national security laws, especially in a post-conflict nation, and defended the CDC’s record in maintaining peace and security.
He proudly highlighted his administration’s achievements, particularly his respect for the rule of law and his relentless fight against corruption. “I am also deeply proud of my record as President, particularly my unwavering respect for the rule of law and my relentless fight against corruption. You may recall that during my presidency, we advanced the fight against corruption on many fronts, including granting the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) direct prosecutorial powers, which is critical to the fight against corruption. To sustain and further advance this fight, we should not allow anyone to erode gains we have made,” he said.
Weah stressed the importance of treating all audit reports from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) equally, to ensure fairness and transparency, and criticized any selective targeting of officials from his administration.
Expressing concern over the Boakai administration’s interpretation of the CDC’s commitment to peace as a weakness, Weah warned that the administration is keen on disturbing the peace by weaponizing government agencies to witch-hunt officials of the past government. “For the UP administration to exploit our legal system and risk fomenting chaos, it tells you to what extent some politicians are willing to go just to maintain power,” Weah said.
The former President further accused his successor of attempting to divert public attention from the “nation’s lingering economic crisis and the uncovering of government misuse of public funds from the Central Bank to bailout a private bank,” which, he said, the Unity Party allegedly used to finance its election campaign. He also pointed out several instances of the administration’s disregard for the country’s procurement laws, committing the country to hundreds of millions of dollars and engaging in the “daylight robbery” of $22 million under the guise of road rehabilitation, among other glaring acts of corruption.
“Suddenly, officials who once gained notoriety for public theft now want us to believe they have transformed into referees of good governance,” Weah said.
He vowed to continue engaging ECOWAS leaders, whose countries have contributed to the attainment and sustenance of peace and security in Liberia, while notifying other international partners of the Unity Party’s plan to capture the political system in its favor. “I want to assure all that the CDC remains a party of law and order and will bring its full and immense political resources to bear to stop the Unity Party in its tracks,” Weah asserted.
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