By Lincoln G. Peters
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia, August 27, 2026 — The Supreme Court of Liberia has upheld the conviction and one-year prison sentences of five former government officials found guilty of economic sabotage in connection with the controversial issuance of Private Use Permits (PUPs) that allegedly deprived the government of about US$6 million in forestry revenue.
The country’s highest court also ordered each of the five former officials to pay US$10,000 in restitution, affirming a 2015 judgment by Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia.
The defendants are former Forestry Development Authority (FDA) Managing Director Moses Wogbeh; former FDA Technical Manager John Kanto; former Commercial Forestry Manager Janger Kamara; former Grand Bassa County Surveyor David Blayee; and Maxwell Gwee, former Director of Cartography at the then Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy.
Delivering the Supreme Court’s judgment on Thursday, August 27, Associate Justice Boakai N. Kanneh said the five defendants are to serve one year each in prison and pay the ordered restitution for the crime of economic sabotage.
The ruling brings to an end the defendants’ challenge to their convictions following more than a decade of litigation stemming from the Private Use Permit scandal.
The five former officials were convicted by Criminal Court “C” in 2015 after being prosecuted over their roles in facilitating the issuance of illegal forestry permits.
They had been charged with economic sabotage, forgery, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of government functions in connection with the issuance of the permits.
The defendants subsequently appealed their convictions to the Supreme Court, challenging the lower court’s decision.
But the Supreme Court rejected their challenge Thursday and affirmed the judgment of Criminal Court “C,” clearing the way for enforcement of the prison sentences and restitution order.
The case grew out of controversy surrounding the issuance of dozens of Private Use Permits that allowed commercial logging operations across large areas of Liberia’s forests.
Investigations into the permits found widespread irregularities in their issuance, prompting the government to take steps to cancel the permits and pursue officials allegedly responsible for authorizing them.
The controversy attracted national and international attention amid concerns that the PUP system was being used to circumvent Liberia’s forestry laws and regulations governing commercial logging.
Investigations by the Liberian government and civil society organizations, including Global Witness, the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) and Save My Future Foundation (SAMFU), raised concerns over the legality of the permits.
A government investigation in 2012 subsequently determined that 63 Private Use Permits had been improperly issued, leading to their cancellation and criminal proceedings against several officials linked to the process.
The permits reportedly covered a significant portion of Liberia’s forestland and raised concerns over revenue losses, forest governance and the management of the country’s natural resources.
With Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, the five former officials are now expected to serve their respective one-year prison terms and comply with the restitution ordered by the court.
