The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has concluded its investigation into the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) alleged corruption saga, as a grand jury house at Criminal Court ‘A’ in Montserrado County has indicted five former officials of former President George M. Weah led- administration. The jury’s decision comes after reviewing the evidence presented to them, and all six (6), found there was reasonable cause to believe that Samuel D. Tweah, former Finance Minister, Nyanti Tuan, former Acting Justice Minister and Solicitor General, Stanley Ford, former Director General, Financial Intelligence, Stanley Ford, D. Moses P. Cooper, former Financial Intelligence Comptroller, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to President Weah committed the crimes. They are charged with 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. Meanwhile, the indictment has been transferred to the Criminal Court ‘C’ that is clothed with the legal responsibility to prosecute them as the crimes are alleged. Dramatically, when the court received the indictment, it immediately proceeds and have three of the five defendants, to include Tuan, Cooper and Karmo arrested on Tuesday, September 9 and they have been surrendered to the authorities of the Court. After securing a criminal appearance bond, they were allowed to go back home, when two of their lawyers, James Kumeh and Wiefueh Sayeh guaranteed of ensuring the defendants’ appearance, whenever requested by the court. According to the indictment, Samuel D. Tweah, in the discharge of his duties as then Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), knowing fully well that LS1,055,152,540.00 and US$500,000.00 were never requested for by the National Joint Security, nor the but willingly conspired with Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, then Acting Minister of Justice, and Acting Chairman of the National Joint Security, thus causing the illegal transfer of the amount mentioned supra to the operational accounts (USD & LRD) of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA); and which cannot be accounted for. The court document alleged that on September 22, 2023, analysis of the Bank Statement of the FIA’s United States Dollar Operational account (A/C #: 1502021605) held at the CBL shows that the Management of the CBL transferred the total amount of US$500,000.00 to the said account of the FIA as per the instruction from co-defendant Samuel D. Tweah, then Minister of Finance and Development Planning; and that on the same day (September 22, 2023) the said amount (US$500,000.00) was withdrawn by D. Moses P. Cooper, then Acting Financial Controller of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). The records further alleges that between the period September 8-21, 2023 thereabout, analysis of the Bank Statement of the FIA’s Liberian Dollar Operational account (A/C #: 1501008108) held at the CBL shows that the Management of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) transferred the total amount of LS1,055,152,540.00 to the said account of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) as per the instruction from the Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP); and that between the periods (September 11, 2023 – October 17, 2023) the total amount of LS1,055,145,040 was withdrawn by Co-defendant D. Moses P. Cooper, then Acting Financial Controller of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), thus leaving a difference of LS7,500.00. It alleges that, though Co-defendant Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, then Acting Minister of Justice and Acting Chairman of the National Joint Security, confirmed to the Investigation that the National Joint Security did receive the funds which were transferred to the FIA on its (Joint Security) behalf, Cllr. Tuan failed to show how much each group of the Joint Security received (if any), and how said funds were expended. Or mandate from the Minister of Justice; but rather a consultation between him (Cllr. Nyenati) and Co-defendant Jefferson Karmoh, then National Security Advisor to the President of Liberia. According to the records, on September 5, 2023; exactly two months following the admittance of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) into the National Joint Security by Co-defendant Jefferson Karmoh, a letter with reference (NT/AM-SG/MOJ/050/2023/RL) under the signature of Co-defendant Nyenati Tuan, Solicitor General and then Acting Minister of Justice, was written to Co-defendant Stanley S. Ford, Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) informing him (Ford) that the National Joint Security of Liberia has secured funding for its operations and that the FIA had been designated for the channeling of said funds; and that upon the availability of the funds into the accounts of the FIA, Mr. Ford is instructed to release the said funds to the National Joint Security. The document noted that during the aforementioned period, the investigation did not establish any proof of documentary evidence that Co-defendant Nyenati Tuan letter to the FIA to receive and withdraw money transferred to its (FIA) operational Accounts for use by the National Joint Security was as a result of a directive or mandate from the Minister of Justice; but rather a consultation between him (Cllr. Nyenati) and Co-defendant Karmoh, then National Security Advisor to the President of Liberia. “The investigation established no proof of documentary evidence that the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) as an institution or its Director General requested to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for admittance into the National Joint Security, contrary to statement made by Mr. Jefferson Karmoh, former Security Advisor to President Weah, that the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) requested through the Ministry of Justice(MOJ); neither is there any evidence of letter of instruction from the MOJ to Mr. Karmoh, which would have serve the basis for issuing to the FIA a letter admitting it to the National Joint security as mentioned in count-3 of the LACC’s findings,” the record claims. It can be re-called that on August 3, 2024, the former President of Republic of Liberia, George M. Weah, former officials who were imprisoned at the Monrovia Central Prison for nearly a week have been temporarily released by Criminal Court “A” after the defendants furnished the court with a valid criminal appearance bond valued at US$12 million. The release order from the court dated Friday, August 2, 2024 reads: “you are hereby commanded to release from further detention the living bodies of Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, D. Moses P. Cooper, Stanley S. Ford and Jefferson Karmoh. The defendants charged with the commission of the crimes: economic Sabotage, misuse of public money, property of record, theft of property, theft/illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money, criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy.” However, the defendants was seen dressed in jeans trousers with T-shirts departed the prison compound late in the evening hours of Friday and were received by their lawyers, families, friends and well-wishers in a jubilant mood outside of the prison. Prior to their released, the defendants struggled to obtain a valid criminal appearance bond since Monday, July 29, 2024; something that caused the alleged criminals to spent five nights at the Monrovia Central Prison. After their struggled to acquire a valid bond, the Sky International Insurance Company which head offices is located on Buchanan Street proffer a valid criminal appearance bond of US$ 12 million. According to the Monrovia City Court Writ issued, the government former officials was jailed based upon the oath and complained by the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). According to the City Court Judge Ben Barco, “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 Karmo, 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”. The Writ of Arrest says that 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, 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) to the operational accounts of the FIA the amounts of LS1,055,152,540.00 and US$5000,000.00. The amounts of LS1, 055. 145, 040.00 and- S$500,000.00. The Writ stated that those former government officials subsequently withdrawn the said money either on the same day of the transfers or few 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. Accordingly, the alleged act of the Defendants being unlawful, wicked, illegal and intentional is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein the Defendants did do and commit. Hence, this Writ of Arrest contrary to the form and effect of the statutory laws of Liberia in such cases made and provided against the peace and dignity of this Republic. According to sources, the former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, is out of Country.
Comments are closed.