In The Wake Of Criminal Court Judge’s Investigation Of Alleged Jury Tampering
PHOTO: Ex-Finance Minister Samuel Tweah overtaken by psychological emotions this week
By Frank Sainworla, Jr., newspublictrust@gmail.com
“Big boys don’t cry…but sometimes they cry,” says the late but great South African Reggae music star, Lucky Duby, something which has played out this week in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, with former Finance Minister, Samuel D. Tweah breaking down in tears publicly.
Amid questions being raised about alleged jury tampering in the US$6.2 million corruption case, former Minister Tweah, who was found not guilty by the Criminal Court C Jury, has broken down in tears as he addressed Journalists flanked by his lead lawyer, Cllr. Arthur Johnson.
Why his emotional outburst? The former Finance Minister in the erstwhile CDC government of George Weah told a news briefing this week that he sees the move as political witch-hunt.
“Today I say, I saw 15 jurors sitting under my voice, 9 of them returning a verdict of not guilty against a powerful government that want me to be destroyed, that day I thank God….” https://web.facebook.com/share/v/1B6aREkTMU/
With the latest investigation by the Criminal Court C Judge of alleged jury tampering, some legal analysts say the not guilty verdict from the jury seem to be hanging in the balance.
Tweah has strongly indicated that he has become the subject of political persecution. This is something that the Unity Party government of President Joseph Boakai has publicly refuted. In one public reaction some time ago, Boakai said his government was not out to witch-hunt anyone, throwing a jab saying that ‘only witches are afraid of being witch-hunted’.
The verdict, handed down after months of dramatic legal battles, intense public scrutiny, and politically charged accusations, significantly weakened what the government had promoted as a landmark anti-corruption prosecution involving more than L$1 billion and US$500,000 allegedly linked to government security-related accounts.
For Samuel D. Tweah Jr.
Economic Sabotage — NOT GUILTY
Theft of Property — NOT GUILTY
Money Laundering — NOT GUILTY
Criminal Facilitation — NOT GUILTY
Criminal Conspiracy — NOT GUILTY
Besides the jury tampering allegation and in the wake of the not guilty verdict, the former Finance Minister was days later back in hot water, with the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) recently summoning him to answer allegation linking him to misapplication of over US$20 million rice subsidy program.
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, he had a second summon to face AREPT investigation at its offices in the Paynesville suburb of Monrovia, when he and his lawyers walked out of the Task Force’s offices, claiming that they were humiliated by being made to sit in a waiting room for long without being attended to.
However, AREPT’s spokesman Joseph Daniels later told Journalists that it was not true and that Tweah and his lawyers showed up late for the investigation and had to wait for officials to conclude arrangements before ushering them into the investigation room.
Earlier, in a recent post on his Facebook page, former Finance Minister Tweah vowed never to bow down to intimidation.
“My lawyer, the decorated Cllr. Arthur Tamba Johnson, informed me yesterday that Cllr. Kla Martin of Asset Recovery says he has a letter for me. I asked him to call Kla back to receive the letter on my behalf. Kla said he would send letter today,” Tweah said. Ex-Finance Min. Tweah Vows “Never To Bow To Political Intimidation”, Amid Latest Summon By Assets Recovery Taskforce – News Public Trust