By Archie Boan
Monrovia – The Liberian Senate has summoned Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh to appear before plenary, demanding answers over what Senators describe as serious procedural irregularities surrounding a subpoena issued against the Senate.
The dramatic move follows a formal communication addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence by Senators Amara M. Konneh, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Abraham Darius Dillon, and Edwin Melvin Snowe. In their letter, the lawmakers questioned the Ministry of Justice’s decision to obtain a Writ of Subpoena Duces Tecum from Criminal Court “A” targeting officers of the Senate — only to later withdraw the same subpoena on February 24.
At the center of the controversy is an audit report by the General Auditing Commission on the Senate’s financial management system covering the period ending March 31, 2024. According to the report, financial operations for the period were processed not by the Senate but by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
Senators argue that the Ministry of Justice wrongly attributed discrepancies in fiscal outturns and IFMIS ledger entries to the Senate, even though the Public Financial Management Act vests authority over cash releases, allotments, IFMIS transactions, and expenditure execution in the MFDP.
“This action falsely labeled MFDP-controlled financial variances as Senate actions,” the communication asserted, describing the subpoena as a dangerous overreach that threatened the constitutional separation of powers among the branches of government.
Despite the Ministry’s subsequent withdrawal of the subpoena, lawmakers maintain that critical questions remain unanswered. The Senate is seeking clarity on why it — rather than the MFDP — was subpoenaed despite the audit’s findings; the legal basis for directing a criminal court subpoena at a coequal branch of government without prior institutional engagement; the reasons for the withdrawal of the writ; and how the Ministry intends to address audit issues rooted in systems controlled by the MFDP.
The Senate has scheduled Minister Tweh’s appearance for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Following plenary deliberations, the Senate’s Judiciary Committee has been mandated to investigate the matter and report back within one week.
In its statement, the Senate reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, pointing to ongoing reforms under the leadership of Pro Tempore Karnga-Lawrence, including what it described as the institution’s first-ever systems audit conducted in collaboration with the General Auditing Commission.
However, lawmakers were firm in their position that while accountability remains paramount, it must be pursued within the bounds of established legal and institutional frameworks.
