A senior official of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has testified before Criminal Court ‘C’ at the Temple of Justice that disputed financial transfer instructions linked to the ongoing US$6.2 million economic sabotage case involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweh Jr. and others were duly executed in line with established banking procedures.
Appearing as a subpoenaed witness on Thursday, William Grant Jlopleh, Director of Banking at the CBL, told the court that the bank received and acted on official communications from the Ministry of Finance authorizing transfers from Government of Liberia (GOL) accounts to accounts of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA).
“To respond to your question, yes-the instructions were received by the CBL and they were executed,” Jlopleh said during the direct examination.
The case is being prosecuted by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission against several former senior officials accused of economic sabotage, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.
Documents Admitted
Jlopleh presented original transfer letters dated September 8, 19, and 21, 2023, which he identified as authentic documents used by the CBL to process the transactions. The court admitted them into evidence as “P/4-in-bulk.”
“These are the original documents that were used by the CBL to process the three transactions,” he testified.
He clarified, however, that original cheques were not in the bank’s possession, explaining that such instruments are routinely returned to institutions along with monthly statements.
Authorization Procedures
Addressing issues of authorization, Jlopleh explained that CBL operates a multi-signatory mandate system for government accounts.
“No single individual can unilaterally instruct the CBL to process a transaction,” he said, noting that approvals require multiple authorized officials, including the Minister of Finance and other designated signatories.
Proceedings Continue
The hearing featured multiple objections from defense counsel, some of which were upheld, particularly where questioning exceeded the scope of the witness’s role.
Following the testimony, the court granted a prosecution request for additional subpoenas directing the CBL to produce ledger records, bank statements, and transaction tickets related to the September 2023 transfers.
Presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika adjourned the case to March 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to allow for the production of further evidence.
The trial continues.
