Former Liberian officials who were recently arrested and sent to jail for their alleged involvement in corruption and economic sabotage, have spent their fourth night behind bars. They failed to file a criminal appearance bond at the Monrovia City Court to secure their temporary release.
Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco has subsequently transferred the alleged corruption case to Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice.
The Magistrate’s decision to transfer the case is based on the lack of jurisdiction by the Monrovia City Court.
Magistrate Barco transfer order reads: “By directive of His Honor L. Ben Barco, Stipendiary Magistrate Monrovia Magisterial Court, we are herewith forwarding you the case.”
Defendants Nyanti Tuan, former Solicitor General, former National Security Advisor to President George Weah, Jefferson Kemoh and D. Moses P. Cooper, former Comptroller at the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) were arrested and sent to the Monrovia Central Prison on allegations of 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.
On Monday, July 29, 2024, the former Solicitor General and two others were dragged to court based on a Writ of Arrest which grew out of the Monrovia City Court due to a complaint filed by the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
Magistrate Barco constituted a conference with both lawyers granted the continuance prayed for by prosecuting attorneys and denied the former Solicitor General Tuan and two others personal recognizance requested by their lawyers and ordered them to file a valid criminal appearance bond.
The defendants are spending their fourth night in jail for failure to file their valid bond. Others to be arrested include, former Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and Stanley S. Ford, former Director of Financial Intelligence Agency.
The Writ of Arrest ordered, “You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Samuel D. Tweah, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, Stanley S. Ford, former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), D. Moses P. Cooper, former Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor, and forthwith bring them to the Monrovia City Court, Temple of Justice Building, Montserrado County to answer the charges of Economic Sabotage, Theft and/or Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Theft of Property, Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy.
According to the Writ of Arrest, the decision to drag the alleged corrupt former officials to court is based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Plaintiff, in which it is substantially alleged as follows to wit:”
The Writ alleged that in an elaborate scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Government of Liberia, in July 2023, defendants conspired with co-defendant Stanley S. Ford, and made him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia, in total violation and contravention of the National Security Act of Liberia.
Subsequently thereafter, the writ mentioned that at various times in September, 2023, the defendants in carrying out their diabolical scheme and conspiracy and under the false pretense of discharging their duties as officials of the Joint Security of Liberia, unauthorizedly, criminally, willfully, illegally, knowingly and maliciously, with the intent to defraud the Government of Liberia, stole and converted to their own use and benefit and did conspire, collude and made to be transferred, from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) the amount of L$1,055,1 52, 540 and the amount of US$5,000, 000.00 million.
It stated that the amounts of L$1,055,145,040 and US$5,000, 000 million were subsequently withdrawn either on the same day of the transfers or days thereafter without any indication or record of how the amounts were disbursed or utilized by the Joint Security of Liberia in complete and total violations of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
The Writ alleged that the act of the defendants being unlawful, wicked, illegal and intentional is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
