Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah has lashed out against what he calls a “politically motivated witch-hunt” against him and other former officials of the George Weah administration.
On Monday, Tweah was indicted alongside several other high-ranking figures, including the former Solicitor General and the ex-Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency. He has vehemently denied the charges against him.
In a fiery statement, Tweah accused the ruling Unity Party Alliance of orchestrating the indictment in a bid to tarnish his reputation and “derail” his political ambitions. He claimed that the charges are nothing more than “falsely devilish accusations” and “fabrications” intended to besmirch him.
“Over the last six years, I have been a major political target and have faced so many other fabrications intended to besmirch my reputation,” Tweah said, referring to past allegations of corruption that have been leveled against him.
The former finance minister alleged that the Unity Party, which recently gained state power at the expense of Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, is now “facing massive allegations of ongoing corruption” and is using the indictment as a way to distract from its own misdeeds.
“Today, the Unity Party, facing massive allegations of ongoing corruption, including a UP GOVERNMENT-sanctioned CBL payment of US$8 million of Liberia reserve money to SIB bank which funded the UP campaign, has decided to politically witch-hunt me and former officials of the CDC,” Tweah said.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Tweah vowed to “defeat this witch-hunt” and “vindicate” his reputation through the justice system. He expressed confidence that he will “emerge stronger” and that his “enemies will be put to shame.”
According to the court documents, the defendants are accused of an “elaborate scheme to defraud the Government of Liberia” by conspiring to transfer large sums of money from the Central Bank of Liberia to the operational accounts of the FIA under false pretenses.
It is alleged that the defendants transferred 1.055 billion Liberian dollars and $500,000 USD from the Central Bank to the FIA’s accounts, which were then allegedly withdrawn on the same day without any record of how the funds were used for their intended purpose of national security operations.
“This is a blatant abuse of public trust and a serious breach of the law,” said the head of the LACC. “The people of Liberia deserve to know that their tax dollars are being used responsibly and for the betterment of the country, not for personal gain.”
Three of the defendants, Jefferson Kanmoh, Cllr. Tuan and D. Moses Cooper, have already been arrested and transferred to prison after failing to provide the required criminal appearance bond. The other defendants, including former Finance Minister Tweah, are expected to face the courts in the coming days.
