Monrovia – Justice-in-Chambers Yusif Kaba has issued a stay order on all legal proceedings related to the US$6 million economic sabotage case involving former officials of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led government.
The stay order halts all proceedings in the case pending a conference scheduled for September 4, 2024. This directive effectively suspends all further arrests and trial actions, granting temporary reprieve to the defendants, including Mr. Samuel D. Tweah, 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 Comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, Former National Security Advisor.
The order reads: “By directive of His Honor Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers, you are hereby cited to a conference with His Honor on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at the hour of 11:30 a.m., in connection with the above captioned case. Meanwhile, you are ordered to stay all further proceedings and/or actions pending the outcome of the conference.”
Justice Kaba’s ruling follows a petition for a writ of prohibition filed before the Supreme Court by Cllr. Arthur Johnson, who argued that the government’s ongoing actions against the ex-officials could jeopardize future security operations and pose significant risks to state security.
The case centers around charges of economic sabotage and theft linked to an alleged unauthorized and illegal transfer of over L$1 billion and US$500,000. Some of the accused, including Tuan and former Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, were previously detained at the Monrovia Central Prison after the Monrovia City Court denied their lawyer’s petition for recognizance. They were later released on bail, and the case was transferred to Criminal Court ‘A’.
Tweah has not yet appeared before the court to respond to the charges against him. However, he has denied the allegations, stating that he would return to Liberia at an appropriate time to prove his innocence. Justice Kaba’s latest decision could provide an opportunity for Tweah to return to Liberia without the immediate threat of arrest.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.