By Jamesetta D Williams
Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh has defended the government’s anti-corruption campaign following the controversial verdict in the criminal case involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and several former government officials accused of illegally transferring and withdrawing public funds.
Speaking Wednesday at the Ministry of Justice in Monrovia, Minister Tweh described the trial as a significant test of Liberia’s justice system and insisted that the outcome demonstrated the strength and independence of the country’s legal institutions rather than a defeat for the government.
The statement follows the May 8, 2026 verdict delivered by Criminal Court “C” in the case involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, former Solicitor General and Acting Justice Minister Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Director Stanley S. Ford, former FIA Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper, and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh.
According to the verdict, Samuel D. Tweah and D. Moses P. Cooper were acquitted of all charges, while Cllr. Nyanti Tuan was convicted of theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy. Jefferson Karmoh was found guilty of criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy.
The jury failed to reach a unanimous decision in the case against Stanley S. Ford, resulting in a hung jury.
Addressing mixed public reactions surrounding the verdict, Minister Tweh emphasized that the fight against corruption should not be measured by a single courtroom outcome.
“The war against corruption is not decided by a single battle,” he declared. “It is decided by the strength of our institutions and our willingness to prosecute difficult cases.”
The Justice Minister said the government pursued the case after an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) allegedly uncovered a scheme involving the transfer of more than US$6 million in public funds outside the national budget process through FIA accounts.
He argued that the convictions of former Acting Justice Minister Nyanti Tuan and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh send a strong warning that even senior officials are not above the law.
“These are not small figures,” Tweh said. “Whether you sit in the Ministry of Justice, the Executive Mansion, or head an integrity institution, if you betray the public trust, you will be investigated and prosecuted.”
At the same time, he maintained that the acquittals of some defendants reflected the independence of Liberia’s judiciary rather than weakness in the prosecution.
Minister Tweh also revealed that before the trial began, the defendants attempted to halt the proceedings through a petition before the Supreme Court, arguing that the alleged transactions were tied to national security operations and protected by presidential immunity.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice and the LACC successfully resisted those arguments, paving the way for the criminal trial to proceed.
“The Supreme Court established a critical principle that national security claims cannot be used to permanently shield the disappearance of public funds from investigation,” he stated.
Defending the prosecution team against criticism from sections of the public, Tweh praised Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah and prosecutors for what he described as nearly two years of dedicated work on the case.
He disclosed that prosecutors presented eight witnesses and eighteen documentary exhibits, including transfer letters, Central Bank records, cancelled cheques, and testimonies from military and budget officials.
The Justice Minister further outlined several findings that emerged during the trial, including claims that the Financial Intelligence Agency was used as a channel for transferring joint security funds outside approved budgetary procedures.
He alleged that over one billion Liberian dollars and US$500,000 were withdrawn in cash from FIA accounts without proper accounting records or evidence showing how the money was used.
According to Tweh, FIA Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper personally withdrew the funds through cheques made payable to himself, while no receipts or disbursement records were presented during the proceedings.
The Minister rejected arguments from the defense that the funds were tied to classified security operations, insisting that national security secrecy cannot justify the disappearance of public money.
“We strongly believe the evidence showed that the defendants conspired in an elaborate unlawful scheme to defraud the Government of Liberia,” he asserted.
Despite the mixed verdict, Tweh reaffirmed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to supporting anti-corruption institutions and maintaining judicial independence.
He noted that the convicted defendants, Cllr. Nyanti Tuan and Jefferson Karmoh, have already filed motions for a new trial, which the government is resisting. If the motions are denied, sentencing proceedings will follow, with the Ministry expected to seek penalties that reflect the seriousness of the offenses..
Closing his remarks, Minister Tweh urged Liberians not to lose confidence in the justice system, describing the corruption fight as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
He stressed that Liberia has demonstrated that former powerful officials can be brought before the courts and held accountable.
“Public service is a sacred trust,” he said. “Those who steal from the people will be pursued, exposed, and sooner or later, they will face justice.”
About The Author
