The Monrovia City Court presided over by Magistrate Ben L. Barco, has transferred the case involving officials of the former CDC-led government to the Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice.
The transfer of the case involving the allegedly corrupt former government officials who are behind bars at the Monrovia Central prison, to the Criminal Court “A” according to the court of non-record is due to jurisdiction issue.
The court record read, “By directive of his Honor, L. Ben Barco, stipendiary magistrate Monrovia City Magisterial Court, we are herewith forwarding you the case “Republic of Liberia by and thru, the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission of the City of Monrovia, plaintiff vs. Samuel D. Tweh, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, Stanley S. Ford, former Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency, D. Moses P. Cooper, former controller, Financial Intelligence Agency and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor and all of the city of Monrovia, Liberia.
However, an Interpol arrest warrant has been issued to have the former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah arrested and brought under the jurisdiction of the court.
On Monday July 29,2024, the Monrovia City Court on Monday July 29,2024, jailed former Liberia Solicitor General Tuan and FIA former Controller Cooper as well as the former National Security Advisor Karmoh based on a complaint filed 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.
But the Monrovia City Court Magistrate Ben Barco denied the former Solicitor General and the former Controller Financial Intelligence Agency personal recognizance and ordered them to file a valid criminal appearance bond after his lawyers requested court to release their clients to them but said request was made by the defense lawyers was not objected by state prosecutors.
Others to be arrested are Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr., Stanley Ford, former Director of Financial Intelligence Agency.
According to the court’s record, an elaborate scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Government of Liberia, in July 2023, Defendants conspired with Co-Defendant Stanley S. Ford, and made him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia, in total violation and contravention of the National Security Act of Liberia.
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 million
The amounts ofL$1,055,145,040 and US$5,000, 000 million 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 is a violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia, there and then the crimes herein the defendants did do and commit.
