By Bill W. Cooper
Justice Minister Oswald Tweh has provided a detailed explanation regarding the ongoing delays in the legal processes surrounding a series of mysterious deaths that occurred during the administration of former President George Weah.
Minister Tweh, during his appearance on a radio show dubbed, “Class Reloaded”, emphasized the complexities involved in these cases, said, “Some of these cases you don’t find records or pieces of evidence for them, and we are starting from scratch.”
However, the mysterious deaths, which have raised significant public concern and speculation, include the untimely demise of several prominent figures and ordinary citizens alike during Weah’s tenure.
Some of them are the three missing boys, EPS agent Melvin Earley, George Fahnboto, Gifty Lamah, Albert Peters, and Barten Nyensuah, among others, leaving families in anguish, seeking justice and closure for their loved ones.
During the 2023 campaign, President Joseph Boakai, then-candidate Boakai, assured Liberians of his commitment to ensure an impartial investigation into those deaths to find and prosecute the culprits.
But since the assertion of his administration, there has been no progress made in making sure that these victims get justice despite a recent pronouncement by Police Inspector General George Coleman to reopen all of the files of the mysterious death.
During his appearance on the radio, Minister Tweh further acknowledged the challenges faced by the Justice Ministry in addressing these cases, particularly the absence of comprehensive records and documentation.
“When we look into these cases, we often find ourselves in a situation where there are no official reports, no autopsy results, and in some instances, no witnesses willing to come forward, and this makes our job incredibly difficult,” he explained.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice is beginning investigations in most of these cases from scratch, something he said is the reason for what many see as delay but assured the government’s commitment to a transparent investigation soon.
He maintained, “Again, there were alleged murder cases under the past regime including the former EPS agent, three missing boys, and a lot more. In some of these cases, you don’t find records or pieces of evidence for them.”
Tweh further emphasized that the lack of documentation has forced the Ministry to rebuild the cases from the ground up, a process that requires time and thorough investigation, thus pleading for 3 to 6 months to allow him to unearth some high-profile cases leading to prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Country’s Attorney General used the occasion to address the issues of former officials who were sanctioned by the U.S. government, thus confirming that the government is in discussion with U.S. authorities to obtain evidence related to the sanctions for prosecution.
Renewing the government’s efforts to push for accountability and transparency in cases surrounded by mystery and controversy, they added, “They sanctioned them, and we need to get the files on their crimes to prosecute them, and we have already started that process.”
