Justice in Chambers Kaba ordered Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman Feika to conduct any investigation into allegations of jury misconduct or tampering in open court and in the presence of all parties and their legal representatives.
The decision effectively reverses Judge Feika’s earlier move to privately question jurors outside the presence of both the prosecution and defense lawyers.
The ruling followed a conference held with all parties, during which Justice Kaba required the parties to sign a stipulation summarizing the outcome of the discussions. Central to that stipulation was the understanding that while Judge Feika has the authority to examine post-verdict complaints relating to alleged jury misconduct, any such inquiry must be conducted openly, transparently, and with all concerned parties present.
The controversy arose after members of the defense team in the Tweah et al. case filed a writ of prohibition challenging Judge Feika’s decision to conduct a private investigation into allegations reportedly raised by three jurors who voted to convict former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah.
Neither the defense nor the public has officially been informed of the contents of the jurors’ filing. However, speculation surrounding the matter suggests the three jurors may be alleging that mobile phones were present among jurors during sequestration. Unconfirmed reports emerging from the investigation further indicate that the nine jurors who voted to acquit Samuel Tweah reportedly told investigators they had no knowledge of phones being present during the jury’s stay.
In July 2024, Tweah and other four top officials of the erstwhile George Weah administration were put on trial for accusations of stealing public fund while in office.
On May 8, 2026, a 15-man jury panel in Monrovia reached mixed verdict clearing former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah and the comptroller of Financial Intelligence Agency of wrongdoing in a $6.2 million corruption case that lasted for nearly two years. Two defendants were convicted on some of the charges while one got hung verdict.
The Government’s apparent attempt to pursue a jury tampering narrative following the acquittal has drawn growing criticism from legal analysts and public commentators.
