Justice Minister N. Oswald Tweh has disclosed that the Government of Liberia has embarked on indictment of some former officials of the Weah-government to have an understanding of the illegal withdrawal of over L$ One Billion 1,055,152,540.00 and US$500,000 from its national coffer. According to him, the current administration is not witch-hunting or launching an attack on former officials of government, stressing that the current administration is acting upon the audit reports from Liberia’s Anti-Graft institutions: The General Auditing Commission (GAC) and Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). Speaking at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing in Monrovia on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia stated that the audit reports from LACC depicted that there was a huge criminal conspiracy carried out by those five indicted former officials of the Liberian Government. He explained that in July of 2023 defendant Jefferson Karmoh, an Ex-National Security advisor to the former president, illegally and unlawfully made Stanley S. Ford, who was the Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), a member of the joint security of Liberia, terming the action of the former security advisor as breach of the act that establishes the National Security Council of Liberia. He said those institutions of government and officials that are members of the National Security Council include, the Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, Minister of National Defense, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, National Security Advisor to the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Inspector General of the Liberia National Police. Others include, Commissioner of the Liberia Immigration Services, Director of National Fire Service, Head of National Security Agency, Director of Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, among others. According to him, the ex-Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah authorized and instructed the Executive Governor of the CBL to disburse huge amounts from the government’s account on series of occasions, disclosing further that all the withdrawals were being done by Comptroller D. Moses Cooper of the FIA. “So, between the period September 11-October 17, they withdrew L$1,055, 145,540.00. If you minus L$1,055, 152,540.00 from L$ 1,055, 145, 540.00, there is about L$7,000 left in the account of the FIA,” he revealed. Despite the illegal and unlawful withdrawals, he said there is no report as to where the money withdrawn was allocated to any security operation and security entity. He added that the over one billion Liberian dollars and the US$500, 000 cannot be left in thin air; therefore, the government is doing all it can to have those former officials answer to the audit reports conducted impartially and professionally by the LACC. Minister Tweh wants all Liberians to support the process as the current leadership headed by President Boakai is making sure to restore transparency and accountability in the public sector, saying, “they are not witch hunting anybody.” “We have nothing against anybody, we all are Liberians, but we have to uphold the rule of law. The LACC conducted a very professional investigation and arrived at this grand scam, in which the defendants have conspired and defrauded the Government of Liberia”, he elaborated. Recently, the Government of Liberia indicted five former officials of the past government for economic sabotage, misuse of public money, illegal disbursement, and criminal conspiracy, among others. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Liberia has said the current administration is also gearing up to embark on an audit of the current officials, stating that the government will ensure that there is accountability in Liberia. LINA
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