The Independent Societal Watch Advocates (ISWA) has condemned recent comments made by the Chairman of the Unity Party Youth League, Togar Melvin Cephas, that Justice Minister Oswald Tweh is ineffective in leading the charge to fight corruption.
Following the non-guilty verdict rendered in the landmark US$6.2M corruption case involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Togar took to Facebook and penned down what stands out to be a denigrating comment against the Minister.
The UP Youth Chair asserted that the Justice Minister is careless about prosecuting corruption; an unambiguous promise by the administration, thus rendering him not just ineffective, but dangerous to the administration and the Liberian people. However, ISWA, in a statement issued Monday, May 11, 2026, described these remarks against the country’s Justice Minister as unfair and damaging to the integrity of Liberia’s justice system.
ISWA said the court’s ruling should not be interpreted as weakness on the part of the Justice Minister, but rather as evidence that Liberia’s judicial system is functioning independently and transparently.
According to the group, the outcome of the case demonstrates that the courts are capable of making decisions free from political pressure or interference, regardless of public expectations or political affiliations.
ISWA stressed that in any democratic society, the prosecution and the judiciary must be allowed to operate within the confines of the law and available evidence, noting that a verdict of not guilty does not automatically imply incompetence or failure by state prosecutors.
The advocacy organization further warned against what it termed “politically charged attacks” on public officials performing constitutional duties, adding that such comments risk undermining public confidence in the rule of law. The group called on political actors and youth leaders to exercise restraint and respect judicial outcomes, especially in cases of national significance.
Among other things, ISWA extolled the judiciary for what it described as a transparent handling of the matter and urged Liberians to view the verdict as a sign of democratic maturity rather than political weakness.
