By Socrates Smythe Saywon | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. has accused Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung of attempting to influence the judiciary by seeking to overturn his acquittal ahead of Criminal Court “C”‘s release of findings into allegations of jury misconduct in the government’s high-profile economic sabotage case.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 20, 2026, Tweah alleged that Vice President Koung instructed Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman F. Feika to overturn the jury’s verdict of acquittal based on what he described as “bogus and spurious” allegations of jury misconduct, despite asserting that the judge had found no evidence linking either him or his legal team to any misconduct.
Smart News Liberia has not independently verified Tweah’s allegations, and no response from Vice President Jeremiah Koung or his office was available at the time of publication.
Tweah’s claims come just hours before Criminal Court “C” is scheduled to release the findings of its investigation into allegations of jury tampering and juror misconduct that surfaced during the corruption trial involving several former senior officials of the George Weah administration.
Judge Feika has scheduled Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. for the disclosure of the court’s report following an inquiry into allegations that the integrity of the jury process may have been compromised.
According to Tweah, disagreements emerged within the government and even among members of the judiciary over what he described as efforts to interfere with the judicial process.
He claimed that some government officials and Supreme Court justices warned against overturning the jury’s verdict, arguing that doing so would undermine judicial independence and establish a dangerous precedent for Liberia’s justice system.
Tweah further alleged that Vice President Koung dismissed those concerns, insisting that political considerations were more important than protecting the rule of law.
He also claimed to have received intelligence indicating that a final decision regarding the matter was communicated to Judge Feika last Thursday after extensive discussions within the government and a national security assessment.
Calling on Judge Feika to uphold the integrity of the judiciary, Tweah argued that the judge has only one lawful course of action.
“Judge Feika has only one option and that is to issue my certificate of freedom tomorrow.”
He further declared that he would not submit to what he characterized as a politically motivated prosecution if the acquittal is set aside.
“I am a free man. They wanted to make me a ‘criminal’; they can now have me as a freedom fighter.”
Tweah maintained that the nine-member jury had already examined the evidence presented during the trial and unanimously declared him not guilty, describing their decision as an act of courage despite what he alleged were significant political pressures.
He argued that Liberia had moved beyond the era when political leaders could dictate judicial outcomes and warned against what he described as attempts to return the country to authoritarian governance.
Tweah also alleged that both Judge Feika and Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay were facing pressure from political actors, urging them to defend the independence of the judiciary rather than yield to outside influence. He did not provide evidence to support those allegations.
Ending his statement on a defiant note, Tweah declared himself a “freedom fighter” and called on Liberians to reject what he described as judicial manipulation and political persecution.
Meanwhile, Criminal Court “C” is preparing to release the findings of its investigation into allegations of jury tampering and juror misconduct that emerged during the corruption trial involving Tweah and several former officials of the George Weah administration.
Those standing trial alongside Tweah include former Acting Justice Minister Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Director General Stanley S. Ford, former FIA Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper, and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh.
The defendants are facing multiple charges brought by the Republic of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice, including economic sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia, misuse of public money, property or records, theft and illegal disbursement and expenditure of public funds, theft of property, money laundering, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The allegations of jury misconduct prompted the Supreme Court, through Chambers Justice Yussif D. Kaba, to order a fresh investigation into whether improper conduct involving members of the jury compromised the fairness and credibility of the proceedings.
Acting on that directive, Criminal Court “C” conducted an independent inquiry, with the findings expected to be released during Tuesday’s hearing at the Temple of Justice.
According to a Notice of Assignment issued on July 17, 2026, Judge Feika directed the sheriff of Criminal Court “C” to notify all parties and their legal representatives to appear before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “C,” for the official release of the investigation report and findings.
