The ongoing corruption trial at Criminal Court ‘C’ has intensified questions around a central, unresolved issue: which institution or member of the joint security that actually received the reported US$6.2 million in national security fund?
The missing of the funds is linked to former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, and other ex-officials under the erstwhile regime of football legend, George Oppong Weah.
As proceedings continue, prosecutors have sharpened their cross-examination, repeatedly pressing defendant Tweah to identify the final beneficiaries’ institutions of the disputed funds allegedly disbursed for security operations.
The issue has become one of the most critical points in the trial. But Tweah maintains that funds were “lawfully disbursed.”
While testifying in his own defense on Friday, April 24, 2026, Tweah insisted that all transactions involving the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) were conducted within the framework of the Public Financial Management (PFM) law.
He however declined to name any specific joint security institution that received the funds.
Tweah further argued that details of such transactions fall under national security confidentiality.
“The investigation will never know because you have never been told on a national security basis,” Tweah told the court.
But Liberia Anti- Corruption Commission (LACC) Witness Baba Mohammed Boika, in his testimony before the court and jury, claims unauthorized transfers, that more than US$500,000 and L$1.05 billion were transferred from government accounts to the FIA without proper authorization.
Boika testified that the transfers approved by Tweah lacked “both legislative approval and authorization from the National Security Council (NSC).”
He further told the court that FIA officials, including Director General Stanley Forh, and Comptroller Moses Cooper, withdrew the funds without proper documentation or accountability records.
Boika: “The funds were illegally transferred, withdrawn, and remain unaccounted for.” But defendant Tweah claims the disbursement was legal.
Recently, two former senior security officials, including former Defense Minister Daniel D. Ziankahn, and former Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Prince Charles Johnson III (Ret.), told the court on the witness stand as subpoena witnesses that they did not know the FIA’s inclusion in the joint security framework or any related financial disbursements.
Both witnesses described established procedures requiring that security funding requests pass through the Ministry of Justice and the NSC before reaching the Ministry of Finance.
Meanwhile, Prosecution To Present Rebuttal Witnesses In Tweah’s Trial.
State prosecutors in the ongoing economic sabotage case, centered on more than L$1 billion and over US$500,000, have notified Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Ousman F. Feika of their plan to call rebuttal witnesses.
The move is intended to challenge key portions of testimony given by Tweah.
Now in its 63rd day at Criminal Court ‘C’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, the trial stems from charges brought by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
Several former senior government officials face allegations, including economic sabotage, money laundering, theft, and criminal conspiracy.
Throughout cross-examination, the prosecution flagged specific claims, especially those concerning spending beyond approved budgets-that they intend to dispute through rebuttal evidence.
This signals the state’s effort to undermine the defense’s position that the disputed transactions were lawful or justified under emergency or national security grounds.