The Supreme Court through its Chamber Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay has granted a temporary writ of certiorari to state prosecutors in the economic sabotage case involving former government officials including Ex-Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and four others.
Justice Gbeisay on January 2, 2025, ordered Criminal Court “C” Judge A Blamo Dixon and the defendants to respond to government lawyers’ petition for a Writ of Certiorari filed on December 23, 2024, by January 7, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. showing cause why the petition for a writ of certiorari should not be granted.
The Supreme Court mandate said, “YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to notify His Honor A. Blamo Dixon, Resident Circuit Judge, First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “C”, Temple of Justice, Judicial Branch. R/L, Samuel Tweah. Former Minister of Finance & 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 Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmon. Former National Security Advisor, Liberia, RESPONDENTS in the above entitled cause of action, to appear (by filing their returns) before His Honor Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., Associate Justice of the Honorable Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia, presiding in Chambers, at the Supreme Court Room, Temple of Justice, on/or before January 7, 2025, at the hour of 4:00 p.m., to show cause why the PETITIONER’S PETITION as prayed for should not be granted.
The court ordered that the respondents file their returns to the writ together with a comprehensive legal memorandum in both hard and soft copies, in the Office of the Clerk of this Honorable Court, on/or before the said 7TH day of January, A. D. 2025.
“Read to the respondents the original, and leave a copy of the Writ of CERTIORARI with the said RESPONDENTS, and as to when and how you shall have served this Writ, you will make known by filing your Official RETURNS hereto on the back of the original copy of this Writ, in the office of the Clerk of this Honorable Court, on or before the said 7 day of JANUARY, A. D. 2025, AND FOR SO DOING, THIS SHALL CONSTITUTE YOUR LEGAL AND SUFFICIENT AUTHORITY,” the court order said.
On Monday, December 30, 2024, the Chambers Justice heard arguments in the matter and subsequently ordered Defendant Tweah, Tuan, Karmoh, Cooper, and Ford along with Judge Dixon to appear and file their responses by January 7, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. requiring them to show cause why the petition for a writ of certiorari should not be granted.
Also, on December 23, 2024, state prosecutors through Cllr. Richard Scott, Montserrado County Attorney, filed a petition against Judge A. Blamo Dixon for his refusal to recuse himself from the case for a second time. Cllr. Scott alleged that Judge Dixon has shown bias since the case began and is comparing himself to sit over the matter by all costs.
“Therefore, the judge by-himself cannot insist that he must hear the matter over the objection by both the Prosecution and Defendant, and to do so input motive,” Cllr. Scott said.
He cited several grounds for recusal, including prejudice, conflict of interest, and improper conduct, but Judge Dixon has denied these allegations, asserting that he has not violated any judicial standards in the ongoing proceedings involving Tweah and others. Cllr. Scott wants the Chambers Justice to order Judge Dixon to send all relevant documents to the Supreme Court for review.
Scott prayed the Chambers Justice by saying, “WHEREFORE AND IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, Petitioner most respectfully prays Your Honor and this Honorable court for the issuance of the Writ of Certiorari against the respondents and grant unto the Petitioner all and singular the relief your honor may deem just, legal and equitable in the premise.”
On Friday, December 20, 2024, former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and four other former officials of government pleaded not guilty to all the crimes levied against them, joining issue with the state, as they were arraigned before court after the reading of the indictment with all pleading not guilty.
The indictment is as a result of a complaint filed by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) through the Ministry of Justice. The former officials of government were indicted by the Liberian government in September of 2024 for allegedly stealing LD$1,055,152,540 billion and US$500,000 during tenures of their respective positions.
The five former officials were indicted for crimes of 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, Money Laundering, Criminal Facilitation, and Criminal Conspiracy.
It can be recalled that former Solicitor General Nyanti Tuan, P. Moses D. Cooper, Jefferson Karmoh and Stanley S. Ford, were arrested and Jailed on July 29, 2024 while former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and Stanley Ford were at-large but were later arrested.
By T.Q. Lula Jaurey
