By Precious D. Freeman
Liberia’s former Solicitor General Nyanti Tuan, the former Controller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, Moses P. Cooper along with the former National Security Advisor, Jefferson Karmoh are believed to have spent their first night in jail based on complaint filed against them by the Ministry of Justice.
In association with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission for alleged crimes of Economic Sabotage in-line with section 15.80(a) (b) and (c), Misused of Public Money, Property or Record, Section 15.8(c), Theft and or Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money (section 18.52) Theft Of Property, Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal facilitation, the Monrovia City Court on Monday July 29, 2024, sent all men to the Monrovia Central Prison.
Magistrate Ben Barco denied Cllr. Tuan and the FIU’s former Comptroller recognizance and ordered them to file a valid criminal appearance bond after their lawyers requested the court to release them to them; though said request was not objected to by state prosecutors.
Both Cllr. Tuan and Cooper were arrested and taken to the court under heavy armed police escort.
Others to be arrested are Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and the former Director of Financial Intelligence Agency, Stanley S. Ford.
Captain Charles Bloyuefloh of the Magistrate Police has been commanded to arrest the defendants and bring them to the Monrovia City Court to answer these charges.
However, the Ministry of Justice and LACC argued that this conspiracy severely undermines the economic stability and integrity of the Liberian government and as the investigation continues, the case is expected to expose the depth of corruption and the measures being taken to restore accountability within the government.
The court’s instruction read, “You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Samuel D. Tweah, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, Stanley S. Ford, former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), D. Moses P. Cooper, former Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor, and forthwith bring them to the Monrovia City Court, Temple of Justice Building, Montserrado County to answer the charges of Economic Sabotage, Theft and/or Illegal Disbursement and Expenditure of Public Money, Theft of Property, Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), plaintiff, in which it is substantially alleged as follows to wit.”
According to the report, it was in an elaborate scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Government of Liberia, in July 2023 that the defendants conspired with co-defendant Ford, and made him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia, which was in total violation and contravention of the National Security Act of Liberia.
Subsequently thereafter, at various times in September, 2023, the defendants, in carrying out their diabolical scheme and conspiracy and under the false pretense of discharging their duties as officials of the Joint Security of Liberia, unauthorizedly, criminally, willfully, illegally, knowingly and maliciously, with the intent to defraud the Government of Liberia, stole and converted to their own use and benefit and did conspire, collude and made to be transferred, from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to the of L$1,055,1 52, 540 the amounts of the FIA US$5,000, 000.
The amounts ofL$1,055,145,040 and US$5,000, 000 were subsequently withdrawn either on the same day of the transfers or days thereafter, without any indication or record of how the amounts were disbursed or utilized by the Joint Security of Liberia, in complete and total violations of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
The alleged act of the defendants being unlawful, wicked, illegal and intentional, according to the court, is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein the Defendants did do and commit.
