Bong County District #3 Representative J. Marvin Cole has criticized opposition members for celebrating the acquittal of former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah while ignoring other opposition figures who were found guilty by the trial jury.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, May 11, 2026, Representative Cole said he congratulates former Minister Tweah on his acquittal, but also sympathizes with former Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, former Acting Justice Minister Nyenati Tuan, and former Financial Intelligence Agency Director Stanley Ford.
The Bong lawmaker said the opposition’s decision to celebrate Tweah’s not guilty verdict while remaining silent on those convicted shows that some individuals within the opposition are considered less important than others.
Cole further stated that, instead of jubilating over Tweah’s acquittal alone, the opposition should issue a statement congratulating Tweah while also expressing sympathy for those who were found guilty. He rejected claims that the outcome of the case was solely a victory for the opposition, noting that the verdict represented a win-win situation for both sides since the jury handed down both guilty and not guilty verdicts.
It can be recalled that a 12-member jury on Friday, May 8, 2026, handed down a long-awaited and highly scrutinized verdict in the US$6.2 million corruption trial involving five former public officials.
The verdict, which acquitted two defendants, including Samuel D. Tweah and Moses P. Cooper, and convicted three on select charges, brought an end to weeks of arguments, cross-examinations, and public debate surrounding one of Liberia’s most closely watched corruption cases. The trial, heard at Criminal Court “C”, centered on allegations of Theft of Public Funds, Money Laundering, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Facilitation, and Economic Sabotage.
Despite all five defendants, including Tweah and three others, being jointly charged under a single indictment, the jury delivered a mixed verdict, convicting some defendants while clearing others entirely, and returning several hung verdicts where they could not reach the legal threshold for a decision.
Some legal analysts have referred to the outcome as “bogus,” claiming the jury’s decisions were inconsistent and confusing. Others argue that the verdict reflects the independent assessment of evidence against each accused.
Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel D. Tweah secured a complete legal victory after being unanimously found not guilty on all five charges, comprising Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Facilitation, Theft of Public Funds, Economic Sabotage, and Money Laundering.
Tweah’s acquittal came after weeks of testimony and public scrutiny. Former Comptroller General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), Moses P. Cooper, was also acquitted on all charges. Jurors ruled that prosecutors failed to link him to the alleged financial crimes.
But Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, Stanley Ford and Jefferson Karmoh were convicted on select charges. Former Acting Minister of Justice, Tuan, was found guilty of Criminal Facilitation, Theft of Public Funds, and Theft of Property, but acquitted of Economic Sabotage, while the jury remained deadlocked on the Money Laundering charge.
Former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh was found guilty of Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy, acquitted of Economic Sabotage and Theft of Public Funds, while jurors hung on the Theft of Property charge.
Former Director General of the FIA Stanley S. Ford received the most inconclusive outcome, for which the jury could not reach a verdict on four of his charges, including Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Facilitation, Theft of Public Funds, and Money Laundering. However, he was acquitted of Economic Sabotage.
Can the court overturn the verdict? The answer to this question is No. Under the Liberian Law, Section 20.9 of the Criminal Procedure Law says, “Verdicts of a jury are binding on the court; that is, a court cannot overturn or change a jury’s verdict once it is legally delivered except in extremely rare circumstances such as proven juror misconduct or defective procedures.”
Criminal Court “C,” which is a jury-based court under Liberian Law, is bound by the jury’s factual findings. Acquittals are final and cannot be reversed, not even by the judge or the Supreme Court. Convictions may be appealed, but the jury’s determination of facts generally stands unless overturned on legal grounds. Therefore, even if legal experts or the public believe the verdict is flawed or “bogus,” the court has no authority to simply throw it out.
