Monrovia – Former Presidential Aide Sekou Kalasco has described the acquittal of former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah as proof that former President George Weah and his administration were not involved in corruption.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh
Tweah, who served as Minister of Finance and Development Planning under the Weah administration, along with several former government officials, had been standing trial on multiple charges brought by the Government of Liberia, including allegations linked to economic sabotage and related financial crimes.
In a landmark ruling, the jury returned a not guilty verdict in favor of Tweah, triggering celebrations among supporters of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
Speaking following the verdict, Kalasco, who served as Special Aide to former President Weah, said he maintained full confidence in the court process and believes the ruling exonerates the Weah administration from allegations of corruption.
Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman Feika subsequently confirmed that both Tweah and co-defendant G. Moses Cooper were fully acquitted in accordance with the law.
However, the court issued mixed rulings for other defendants in the case. Defendant Jefferson Karmo received a hung verdict on the charge of Theft of Property. The court maintained a not guilty verdict on Money Laundering charges, while guilty verdicts for Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy remain on record. Judge Feika ordered a retrial on the Theft of Property charge.
For Nyanti Tuan, the court returned a hung verdict on Economic Sabotage and Money Laundering charges, resulting in an order for retrial, while all other verdicts remain intact.
Meanwhile, Stanley Forh received a hung verdict on Theft of Property and Money Laundering charges. The court ordered a retrial on those counts while maintaining all other verdicts, including Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy, as recorded in the proceedings.
