Former officials of ex-President George M. Weah 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$12 million.
The release order from the court dated Friday, August 2, 2024 reads: “You are hereby commanded to release from further detention the living bodies of Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, D. Moses P. Cooper, Stanley S. Ford and Jefferson Karmoh.” The defendants have been charged with the commission of the crimes: “Economic Sabotage, Misuse of Public Money, Property of Record, Theft of Property, Theft/Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy.” However, the defendants were seen dressed in jeans trousers with T-shirts departed the prison compound late in the evening hours of Friday and Received by their lawyers, families, friends and well-wishers in a jubilant mood outside of the prison. Prior to their release, the defendants struggled to obtain a valid criminal appearance bond since Monday, July 29, 2024; something that caused the alleged criminals to spend five nights at the Monrovia Central Prison. After they struggled to acquire a valid bond, the Sky International Insurance Company with head offices located on Buchanan Street, proffered a valid criminal appearance bond of US$ 12 million. According to the Monrovia City Court Writ issued, the government former officials were jailed based upon the oath and complaint by the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). According to 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 said 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 withdrew the said monies 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. However, according to sources, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning Tweah, is out of country.
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