MONROVIA – Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. has accused Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung of attempting to interfere with the judiciary by allegedly directing Judge Ousmane Feika to overturn a jury’s verdict acquitting him in an ongoing corruption case.
In a social media post published on Monday ahead of an expected court ruling, Tweah alleged that Vice President Koung instructed Judge Ousmane Feika to set aside the jury’s acquittal based on what he described as a “bogus and spurious” allegation of jury misconduct.
Tweah claimed the judge had found no evidence linking him or his legal team to any misconduct but was allegedly under political pressure to overturn the verdict.
The former minister further alleged that the government had spent the past month divided over whether to challenge the jury’s decision, claiming that some government officials and members of the Supreme Court opposed such a move, arguing that overturning the verdict would undermine judicial independence and the rule of law.
According to Tweah, unnamed officials warned against setting aside the acquittal, noting that a previous acquittal in the case involving Abdullah Kamara had been allowed to stand.
He also claimed that Vice President Koung argued that winning future elections was more important than protecting the rule of law.
Tweah further alleged that a final decision was communicated to Judge Feika last Thursday following internal government discussions and what he described as a national security assessment.
The former minister said the judge should issue what he called his “certificate of freedom,” maintaining that the jury’s verdict had already declared him innocent based on the evidence presented during the trial.
He warned that if the acquittal is overturned, he would not submit to what he described as a politically motivated retrial, insisting that his constitutional rights would be violated.
Tweah also accused the Boakai administration of targeting him for political reasons, saying Liberians had already recognized him as “a free man” and a victim of political persecution.
Calling on the judiciary to resist political interference, he urged Judge Feika and Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh? (Note: the statement references Chief Justice Gbeisay) to uphold judicial independence rather than yield to alleged political pressure.
The former finance minister concluded by declaring his readiness for what he described as a political battle and announced that he would address the media following Tuesday’s court proceedings.
The Government of Liberia, Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and the Judiciary had not publicly responded to Tweah’s allegations as of press time. The New Republic will seek their comments and publish them when received.
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