The Judge of the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, A Blamo Dixon, has ordered the rearrests of former government officials facing investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission on economic related crimes committed during the regime of former President George Weah.
In an Indictment Writ of Arrest dated September 6, 2024, Judge Dixon ordered the Sheriff of Court to arrest the living bodies of Samuel D. Tweah, Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, Stanley S. Ford, D. Moses P. Cooper and
Jefferson Karmoh, defendants, charged with the commission crimes including Economic Sabotage (Fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia, Misuse of Public money, property or record, Theft and/or illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money) Theft of Property, Criminal Facilitation, Money Laundering and Criminal Conspiracy.
“You are hereby further commanded to have your official returns endorsed on the back of this writ of arrest, indicating the manner and form of its service. And for so doing, this shall constitute your legal and sufficient authority. And have you there this writ of arrest,” the Judge’s order read.
The Criminal Court “C” Judge’s action is coming shortly after the Justice in Chambers at the Supreme Court of Liberia declined to issue a writ of prohibition as prayed for by the former officials. Justice Yusuf D. Kaba’s move was as a result of a conference with the ex-officials’ lawyers based on their petition earlier filed.
The Chambers Justice non issuance of the alternative writ prayed for by defendants Samuel Tweh, Nyanti Tuah, Jefferson Kermoh, D. Moses P. Cooper and Standley Ford, means that the stay order placed on the matter must be lifted in the couple of days for the five ex-officials in the criminal case at Criminal Court “C”.
It can be recalled that the Presiding Justice In-Chambers issued a stay order on all legal proceedings related to the US$6 million economic sabotage case involving the former officials.
Justice Kaba’s stay order halted all proceedings in the case pending a conference, the directive that effectively suspends all further arrests and trial actions, granting temporary reprieve to the defendants, including Mr. Samuel D. Tweah, Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, Stanley S. Ford, Former Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency, D. Moses P. Cooper, Former Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, Former National Security Advisor.
Justice Kaba’s ruling follows a petition for a writ of prohibition filed before the Supreme Court by Cllr. Arthur Johnson, who argued that the government’s ongoing actions against the ex-officials could jeopardize future security operations and pose significant risks to state security.
The matter centers around charges of Economic Sabotage and Theft linked to an alleged unauthorized and illegal transfer of over L$1 billion and US$500,000. Some of the accused, including Tuan, Cooper and Karmoh were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison after the Monrovia City Court denied their lawyer’s petition for recognizance, but were later released on bail, and the case was subsequently transferred to Criminal Court “A”.
Suspects Samuel Tweah and Stanley Ford have yet to appear before the court to respond to the charges made against them. However, Tweah has denied the allegations, stating that he would return to Liberia at an appropriate time to prove his innocence.
Jefferson Kermoh, Moses P. Cooper and Nyanti Tuan, Stanley Ford and Samuel Tweah filed a petition for a writ of prohibition to prohibit the Liberia Anti- Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Ministry of Justice from proceeding with the matter at the court. The ex-officials lead lawyer Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson filed a complaint to Justice Kaba claiming that US$6.5 which led to their arrest was bordered on national security.
The lawyers maintained that the said amount was expended by the National Security Community for security protection to keep the country safe and protected from security threats during the general elections of 2023.
Defendants Tuan, Cooper, Kemoh, Tweah and Ford are charged with multiple crimes ranging from Economic Sabotage, Misuse of Public Money, Property or Record, Theft of Property, Theft and Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy.
