–In the Brownie Samukai’s Corruption case
By Garmah Never Lomo
The Presiding Judge of Criminal Court ‘C’ Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay has purged a Writ of arrest earlier on Monday for Liberia’s Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah in the corruption allegation case involving former Defense Minister, Brownie Samukai.
Criminal Court ‘C’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia earlier today, Thursday, March 12, 2020 ordered the arrest of Liberia’s Finance Minister Samuel Tweah for his failure to heed to the court’s writ of Subpoena Testificandum in the alleged corruption case involving former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai and others.
Subpoena Testificandun is a court summons to appear and give oral testimony for use of a hearing or trial.
But the Judge later said that Lawyers representing Minister Tweah has assured the Court that he will appear in court tomorrow, Friday, March 13, 2020.
Judge Gbeisay has also purged the contempt charge.
The Writ of Subpoena Testificandum issued by Criminal Court C has also been issued on Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 to produce payment receipt voucher, letter authorizing disbursement and all other documents relating to US$460,000.
But Minister Tweah has failed to show up in court. And his action is being seen as contemptuous.
Former Defense Minister Samukai is slapped with several criminal charges, including money laundering, economic sabotage, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy, and theft of property along with former Deputy Defense Minister Joseph Johnson and former defense Comptroller Nyumah Dorkor.
The three former Defense officials in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government were recently indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado for their alleged role in the embezzlement of the compulsory savings fund of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
Taking the witness stand, former Minister Samukai testified that the CDC government has paid four hundred thousand US dollars into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) pension account, since taking office on January 22, 2020.
Former Defense Minister Samukai told the Criminal Court that the Liberian government has paid four hundred and sixty thousand US dollars, but it is yet to be granted by the court.
State lawyers prosecuting the case objected to the Writ of Subpoena on the three government Ministers to appear in court, but the court overruled their objection.