Monrovia – The Liberia National Police has named three officials, along with several others from the former George Manneh Weah administration as persons of interest in the death of Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua. The officials include Samuel Tweh, former Finance Minister; Bill Twehway, former Managing Director of the National Port Authority and now Senator of River Cess County; and former Minister of Health, Wilhelmina Jallah.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
According to the police, these individuals will be questioned about the circumstances leading to Nyeswua’s mysterious death.
Nyeswua was one of four auditors who died under ‘questionable’ circumstances in 2020 while conducting audits of government accounts amid allegations of fund misappropriation. The other auditors, Albert Peters, Gifty Lama, and George F. Fanbutu, all worked with the Liberia Revenue Authority and died in what were reported as car accidents. Despite public outcry, the Weah-Taylor administration’s police concluded there was no foul play at the time.
Police Inspector General Col. Gregory Coleman announced at a news conference held at the LNP Headquarters in Monrovia on Tuesday that the intelligence department has been working intensively around the country for months, and the investigation into Nyeswua’s death has now progressed.
“We have sent letters to various individuals who have information and are considered persons of interest in the investigation. These individuals have been placed at different points of the event, from the house to the hospital,” said Col. Coleman.
Several individuals, including Cllr. Norris Tweah, Mr. James Thompson, Dr. Emmanuel Wreh, Gibson Tumbey, Robert Kettor, Musa Sesay, and Joe Tokpah, have already been questioned. Based on their testimonies, the police have also summoned former officials Samuel D. Tweah, Dr. Wilhelmina S. Jallah, and Bill Twehway.
“The letters have already been sent to them. We have not spoken with them yet, but they are part of the ongoing investigation,” Coleman added.
How Barten died
Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua, Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, was found dead at his 72nd Boulevard residence on October 10, 2020, after an evening out at D’Calabash resort. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Reports indicate he was discovered around 2 a.m. after returning home with friends, some of whom are still unidentified.
Nyeswua’s death was the fourth auditor’s death in eight days under the Weah administration, following the deaths of LRA employees Albert Peters, Gifty Lama, and George Fanbutu. Upon discovering his body, the police barricaded his residence and prevented entry until a forensic investigation could be conducted. The police suggested a fall from an elevation as a possible cause but could not provide a definitive explanation.
One of Nyeswua’s drivers reported that he dropped Nyeswua and his friends at his residence around midnight and left. He was called back around 3 a.m. and informed that Nyeswua had fallen. The driver transported Nyeswua to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The driver noticed a cut behind Nyeswua’s head but could not confirm if it was from the fall.
Despite these reports, the exact circumstances of Nyeswua’s death, including the identities of those present, remain unclear. FrontPageAfrica was unable to identify the names of all the individuals residing with Nyeswua or those present at the time of the incident.
‘We welcome the police Investigation’
Following the police announcement, former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah expressed his support for the new government’s investigation into the death of Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua.
“We welcome the police investigation under a new government to independently re-establish facts in the death of our dear friend and brother Barten Nyeswua, among other deaths that were politically weaponized,” Tweah stated.
Tweah recounted receiving a call last Friday from his brother, Cllr. Norris Tweah, informing him that the police were interested in speaking with individuals who had connections to Barten Nyeswua. “Norris stated he had already spoken with the police and encouraged me to do the same,” he added.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 23, Tweah explained that on the morning of the incident, upon receiving a call from his brother Norris about the incident, he contacted Dr. Wilhemina Jallah, the government’s chief medical officer, and Mr. Bill Twehway, another close friend of Barten, to report the incident. They all headed to the JFK Memorial Hospital, where Barten had been taken by Norris.
Tweah indicated that he would publicly share any information he provides to the police. “I welcome this moment of authentic truth-telling and fact-finding so that the demons of lies, duplicity, and propaganda that have long harried our people over the last six years for political purposes can hopefully and finally be exorcised and laid to rest,” he added.