Thirteen people, including former government officials, are expected to appear before Criminal Court “C” on Monday, August 17, 2026, to face trial over the alleged misappropriation of rice donated by Saudi Arabia to Liberia for disaster victims.
Among those facing trial are former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, former Internal Affairs Minister Varney A. Sirleaf, and former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister for Administration Thelma Sawyer.
The other defendants include officials and employees of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the General Services Agency (GSA), along with two private individuals.
The case involves 29,412 bags of 25-kilogram rice valued at about US$500,000, which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated to Liberia in April 2023. The rice was meant to help people and communities affected by disasters across the country.
Following an investigation by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), prosecutors alleged that 25,054 bags of the rice, valued at US$425,918, were stolen, misapplied or distributed outside their intended purpose.
The defendants were indicted in 2025 and are facing several charges, including theft of property, economic sabotage, misuse and illegal expenditure of public funds, misapplication of entrusted property, abuse of office and criminal conspiracy.
Criminal Court “C” on August 11 ruled that the case should proceed to trial after completing the pretrial stage. The court has set the proceedings for 9:00 a.m. Monday.
In a statement released ahead of the trial, AREPT Public Relations Officer Joseph F. Daniels said the case is part of the taskforce’s broader effort to recover public assets.
“For AREPT, the trial is significant because asset recovery extends beyond investigation and indictment.”
Daniels said the court proceedings will allow evidence gathered during the investigation to be presented and challenged before a judge, while giving the court the responsibility to determine whether the accused are criminally liable.
He also stressed that the taskforce would continue working with the Ministry of Justice while respecting due process and the rights of the accused.
“AREPT remains committed to working with the Ministry of Justice to pursue cases arising from its investigations through the courts while respecting due process, the rights of defendants, and the independence of the Judiciary,” Daniels said.
The taskforce said it will continue providing updates on the case as the proceedings unfold, while observing the requirements of the law.
The accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
