MONROVIA — A key prosecution witness has told Criminal Court “C” that investigators uncovered serious inconsistencies surrounding more than US$500,000 allegedly allocated for national security operations.
The testimony was delivered by Baba Mohammed Boika, Program Manager for Monitoring and Investigations at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, as part of the ongoing trial involving former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and several co-defendants.
The accused—including Jefferson Karmoh, Stanley Forh, Sam D. Cooper, and Nyanti Tuan—face multiple charges, including economic sabotage, misuse of public funds, theft of property, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.
Investigation Triggered by Media Reports
Boika testified that the investigation was launched following media reports alleging that funds were withdrawn from the Financial Intelligence Agency for the purchase of IT equipment that was never delivered and for which no proper accounting was provided.
According to him, preliminary inquiries quickly revealed that the amount in question exceeded the US$500,000 initially reported.
Conflicting Accounts Over Cash Withdrawals
The court heard that the funds were transferred from the Ministry of Finance into the FIA’s operational account and later withdrawn in cash under unclear circumstances.
Boika testified that FIA Comptroller Sam D. Cooper initially told investigators he withdrew the funds on instructions from then-FIA Director Stanley Forh and handed them over to unidentified security personnel at a commercial bank.
However, Cooper later changed his account, claiming the cash was left at the bank without documentation or receipts.
“The witness emphasized that no evidence was provided to substantiate either version,” the court heard.
Admissions Without Documentation
On the role of Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, Boika testified that he admitted authorizing the FIA to receive and disburse the funds following consultations with Karmoh. However, he allegedly failed to provide documentation showing that proper procedures were followed or that the funds reached legitimate security institutions.
Boika further stated that Tuan could not identify specific beneficiaries and did not submit records he had promised to provide.
Questions Over Authorization
Regarding Karmoh, the witness said the former National Security Advisor acknowledged facilitating the inclusion of the FIA in joint security arrangements.
However, Boika told the court that Karmoh failed to produce evidence of authorization from either the Ministry of Justice or the National Security Council.
He added that Karmoh admitted standard procedures—such as formal written requests and supporting documentation—should have been followed, but none were presented during the investigation.
Former Minister Unreachable
The court also heard that efforts to obtain a statement from former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah were unsuccessful, as he was reportedly unreachable and did not respond to official communications at the time of the investigation.
Meanwhile, other Ministry of Finance officials testified that the transactions were carried out on instructions from the Minister’s office, though some said they only became aware of the transfers after media reports emerged.
No Evidence of Legitimate Use
Boika concluded his testimony by stating that none of the defendants provided credible evidence to demonstrate that the funds were used for legitimate national security purposes.
Trial Continues
The proceedings continue at Criminal Court “C,” in what remains one of Liberia’s most closely watched corruption trials involving senior officials of a previous administration.
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