By Emmanuel T. Kamanda
Liberia’s Minister of Justice, Cllr. Natu Oswald Tweh, has ordered a comprehensive review of the jury selection process and other aspects of the high-profile US$6.2 million corruption case involving former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and others.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Cllr. Tweh said the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) would conduct “a thorough internal review” of the case, covering the investigation, presentation of evidence, and jury selection process.
The Justice Minister, however, defended the prosecution’s handling of the matter, insisting that state lawyers presented strong evidence showing that the defendants “conspired and concocted an elaborate, illegal, and unlawful scheme to defraud and steal from the Government of Liberia.”
He highlighted the conviction of former Solicitor General Cllr. Nyanti Tuan and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh. Tuan was found guilty of theft, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy, while Karmoh was convicted of facilitating and conspiring to commit a crime.
According to Cllr. Tweh, the prosecution team, led by Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah, worked on the case for nearly two years and presented eight witnesses, including former Armed Forces of Liberia generals, along with 18 documentary exhibits.
The evidence included transfer letters allegedly signed by former Finance Minister Tweah, Central Bank ledgers, cancelled cheques, and testimony that the disputed funds bypassed the national budget process.
