MONROVIA – Former Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, and former Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Unit, now the Financial Intelligence Agency, have been sent to prison by the Monrovia City Court. They were imprisoned after failing to present a criminal appearance bond, as they could not afford the amount required for economic sabotage. Judge Ben Barcon denied their request for a personal recognizance bond, despite their prominence.
Cllr. Tuan, former FIU (now FIA) Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper, former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, former Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Stanley Ford, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to President George Weah, were issued a writ of arrest to face charges of economic sabotage, theft, and/or illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money, theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy. These charges are based on a complaint from the government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
It is alleged that in an elaborate scheme to defraud the government of Liberia, the defendants conspired with Co-Defendant Stanley Ford in July 2023, making him a member of the National Security Council of Liberia in total violation of the National Security Act of Liberia. Subsequently, at various times in September 2023, the defendants allegedly executed their scheme, falsely presenting themselves as officials of the Joint Security of Liberia.
According to the writ of arrest, the defendants, “in 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.”
“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 operational accounts of the FIA the amounts of L$1,055,152,540.00 and US$5000,000.00.”
These amounts were either withdrawn on the same day, according to court documents.
Cllr. Tuan and D. Moses Cooper were arrested on Monday, July 29, and brought to the Monrovia City Court. However, they failed to procure a criminal appearance bond, resulting in their transfer to prison.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants did not provide any indication or record of how the funds were disbursed or utilized by the Joint Security of Liberia. This omission is in total violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
The alleged actions of the defendants are described as unlawful, wicked, illegal, intentional, and in violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia.
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