By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Liberia’s main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has sharply escalated its confrontation with the Boakai-Koung administration, accusing senior government officials of attempting to undermine judicial independence and warning that the country is drifting toward a constitutional crisis over efforts to challenge the acquittal of former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr.
In a statement issued Monday, July 20, 2026, under the signature of National Chairman Atty. Janga Augustus Kowo, the CDC alleged that the government’s reported attempt to overturn Tweah’s acquittal by a duly empaneled jury amounts to an abuse of power and a direct assault on Liberia’s constitutional order.
The opposition party argued that the jury’s verdict represents the lawful judgment of Liberia’s justice system and should be respected by all branches of government.
“The jury has spoken. The Constitution must prevail,” the CDC declared, warning that disregarding the verdict could erode public confidence in the judiciary and threaten national peace and democratic stability.
The CDC further alleged that “credible information” in its possession indicates that influential figures within the Boakai-Koung administration are seeking to interfere with the judicial process. Specifically, the party accused Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung and National Security Advisor Samuel Kofi Woods of spearheading efforts to overturn the acquittal.
The statement also claimed that Judge Ousmane Feika, who is handling proceedings related to the case, has allegedly faced intimidation and death threats if he refuses to act in line with what the CDC described as a politically motivated plan.
The CDC did not provide evidence publicly supporting these allegations.
The party further claimed that despite resistance from what it described as “patriotic voices” within the administration, Vice President Koung was allegedly determined to pursue the matter because “winning the 2029 election for the government is more important than protecting the law.”
The CDC presented no independent evidence to substantiate that quotation.
According to the opposition party, the legal battle surrounding Tweah should not be viewed as an isolated matter but rather as part of what it described as a broader pattern of alleged political interference involving state institutions and the treatment of opposition figures.
Describing the situation as a dangerous constitutional moment, the CDC warned that any effort to overturn judicial independence or use excessive state power would deepen what it called Liberia’s growing constitutional crisis.
In one of the strongest declarations contained in the statement, the CDC said it had instructed Tweah to adopt what it called a “non-compliance posture” should the government attempt to enforce what the party described as “kangaroo justice.”
The party also warned that it would hold government officials “politically and personally accountable” for any unrest resulting from actions it believes undermine the Constitution.
Invoking Article 1 of the Liberian Constitution, which states that all power is inherent in the people, the CDC pledged to resist, through what it described as democratic means, any actions it believes threaten constitutional governance or judicial independence.
The party appealed to the Judiciary, the Liberia National Bar Association, civil society organizations, religious leaders, Liberia’s international partners, and citizens to defend the independence of the courts and uphold the rule of law.
The CDC maintained that respect for constitutional governance, rather than political influence, remains essential to preserving Liberia’s democracy.
The statement marks the latest escalation in the political dispute surrounding Tweah’s criminal case, which has become a flashpoint between the opposition and the Boakai administration.
Smart News Liberia has not independently verified the CDC’s allegations regarding alleged judicial interference, intimidation, death threats, or the reported involvement of specific government officials. As of publication, neither the Executive Mansion, the Office of the Vice President, the Office of the National Security Advisor, nor the Judiciary had publicly responded to the claims contained in the CDC statement.
