By Jamesetta D Williams
MONROVIA-Lead lawyer for former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah has decried Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman Feika overturning of unanimous jury acquittal as a bad precedence in the country’s jurisprudence.
Cllr. Arthur Johnson, speaking to reporters minutes after the Judge announced his verdict on “jury tempering” claims made by three jurors days after Tweah’s acquittal, said the decision has set a dangerous legal precedence.
He said it is unheard of that a jurors unanimous verdict is overturned by a judge anywhere in the world, adding “I challenged any lawyer to prove me wrong.”
According to him, succeeding governments could take advantage of “today’s decision” and “elect to overturn verdicts passed against officials they may deem uncomfortable with.”
Judge Feika has ordered the arrest of 15 jurors in connection to the alleged jury tempering allegation.
With this decision, the former Finance Minister could return to the dockets to defend himself as he did in the earlier trial.
Prior to Judge Feika’s verdict, Tweah had levelled allegations against provided Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, accusing him being behind move to overturn his acquittal verdict.
He alleged that he provided Koung with substantial financial support during his time in government, while also making a new claim about the judicial proceedings in his legal case.
Speaking on Spoon Talk, Tweah described the allegations regarding his financial relationship with the Vice President as false and misleading, insisting that all support he provided was either campaign-related or based on personal friendship.
According to Tweah, he helped mobilize approximately US$50,000 for Koung’s Senate campaign, emphasizing that the money was campaign support and not personal enrichment.
He further explained that, during his six years as Finance Minister, the total amount of financial support connected to Koung that he was aware of was about US$75,000, including campaign-related assistance organized through friends.
Addressing claims surrounding the hospital built by the Vice President, Tweah said the government contributed approximately US$50,000 after the facility had already been established. He said Koung later donated the hospital to the government, which subsequently assumed responsibility for paying staff salaries. He maintained that there was no private financial arrangement between the government and the Vice President concerning the project.
The former minister also disclosed that he mobilized an additional US$30,000 in support during the funeral of Koung’s father, describing the contribution as a personal gesture among friends rather than government funding.
Speaking about their personal relationship, Tweah said he had visited and stayed at Koung’s residence, adding that their friendship should not be interpreted as evidence of improper financial dealings.
He further revealed that since returning to Liberia, Vice President Koung has personally assisted him financially. According to Tweah, Koung initially gave him US$2,000 and later another US$1,000, totaling approximately US$3,500 in personal assistance.
In a separate claim during the interview, Tweah alleged that Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie Feika expressed regret over overturning a ruling in his case. According to the former minister, the judge conveyed his concerns through Tweah’s brother, Lawrence Tweh.
Judge Feika cried in front of my brother, Lawrence Tweh, and told him, ‘This country is wicked. I don’t see what Samuel Tweah did for people to be after his life. I regret to announce that, unfortunately, I will have to overturn your brother’s verdict.'”»
Tweah did not provide evidence to support the claim, and the judge has not publicly responded to the allegation.
Rejecting accusations that he transferred millions of dollars to the Vice President, Tweah maintained that he has always been truthful in public life.
I do not lie in politics,” he said, arguing that misinformation contributed to his party’s electoral defeat and that he would continue to speak only on matters he knows to be true.
Tweah concluded by urging Liberians to distinguish between government expenditures and personal acts of friendship, insisting that the allegations against him are without merit.
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