Claim: “The court gives VIP treatments.”
On September 25, 2024, Samuel Tweah, ex-Finance Minister, surrendered to Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Blamo Dixon.
A writ of arrest was issued on the 6th of September 2024 with a bond of US$8 million.
Darlington Collins, a Liberian studying at Widener University United States of America, claims under the Pennsylvania rule of criminal procedure, an accused has 72 hours to obey court instructions, unlike a court in Liberia that gives VIP treatment and supporters post individual smiling pictures.
Verification: On July 29, 2024, Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco at the Monrovia City Court ordered the arrest of five former senior government officials during former President George Weah’s administration.
Those that were to be arrested include Samuel Tweah, Finance Minister, Acting Justice Minister, and Solicitor General, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan; FIA Comptroller, Moses P. Cooper; Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency, Standley Ford; and Jefferson Karmoh, National Security Advisor to ex-President Weah.
According to the writ issued, Tweah and others were charged with multiple crimes: economic sabotage, misuse of public money or records, theft and illegal disbursement and expenditure of public funds, theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The court arrested Tuan, Cooper, and Karmoh and informed them of their right to file a valid bond.
These three ex-officials were unable to secure such bond which led them to sleep behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison. After filing the bond, the court released them.
Tweah posted on his social media page and described the charges as a “Witch-hunt.”
He said that he is working along with his lawyers to defeat said charges and vindicate his reputation through the justice system.
The case was transferred to Criminal Court ‘A’. Grand Jury of Monsterrado County used the complaint filed by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to draw the indictment and later forward the matter to Criminal Court ‘C’ for trial.
According to the indictment, Tweah and others used their positions unlawfully and illegally to transfer funds from FIA operational accounts, both in United States dollars and Liberian dollars, to personal accounts with the amounts of L$1,055,152,540.00 and US$500,000.00.
On September 6, 2024, Judge Dixion ordered the arrest of Tweah and others but Tweah was out of the country.
Local media institutions said the international arrest warrant was issued but the court claimed that no international arrest warrant—Interpol—has been issued on Tweah.
On September 25, Tweah arrived in the country and immediately visited the court. Along with his lawyers, he filed a property bond of US$8 million, which the court granted. Judge Dixion scheduled the trial for November 12, 2024.
Conclusion: We found no record of the court giving Tweah’s and indicted associates VIP treatment.
