By Pewu Y. Sumo
Capitol Hill, Monrovia: — The Judiciary, Liberia’s third branch of government, has clarified that reports of the Chief Justice meddling in the US$6.2 million economic sabotage case involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. are “misleading, reckless, and clearly intended to create a false impression.”
In a major public update, a statement released by the Judiciary in Monrovia late Wednesday evening said its attention had been drawn to a publication circulating under the headline: “CJ Gbeisay Orders Probe Into Alleged Jury Tampering in US$6.2M Corruption Case.”
The Judiciary termed the publication “categorically false, misleading, reckless, and clearly intended to create a false impression that His Honor Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay has improperly inserted himself into an ongoing criminal matter currently within the jurisdiction of the courts.”
“At no time did the Chief Justice issue any mandate, order, directive, or instruction authorizing an investigation into alleged jury tampering in connection with the matter referenced in the publication. The story is entirely fabricated and bears absolutely no resemblance to any official action or position of the Judiciary,” the statement noted.
Under the laws and constitutional framework of the Republic of Liberia, the Chief Justice does not arbitrarily intervene in criminal proceedings or undertake unilateral investigatory actions regarding jury deliberations in matters pending before the courts. Liberia’s judicial system is governed by clearly established legal procedures, due process guarantees, and institutional safeguards that prevent precisely the kind of improper interference maliciously suggested by the publication.
The attempt to attribute such conduct to the Chief Justice is, therefore, not only legally absurd but also a deliberate smear campaign calculated to undermine public confidence in the independence, neutrality, and integrity of the Judiciary.
The release further stated: “It is deeply unfortunate that certain actors continue to weaponize misinformation, propaganda, and speculative reporting in order to inflame public sentiment around high-profile cases. Such conduct does grave harm to the administration of justice and threatens the sanctity of Liberia’s democratic institutions.”
“The Judiciary remains firmly committed to the rule of law, judicial independence, and the constitutional rights of all persons appearing before the courts. Verdicts rendered by juries are products of the legal process established under Liberian law and not the product of political manipulation, media pressure, or institutional conspiracy theories manufactured for public consumption.”
The Judiciary cautioned members of the public to disregard this “false publication” and to rely only on verified official communications issued through authorized Judiciary channels.
The Judiciary further reserves the right to pursue all lawful remedies against the dissemination of knowingly false and defamatory information intended to damage the reputation and credibility of the institution and its officers.
This clarification from the Judiciary comes after several reports from various media institutions across Liberia claimed that the Chief Justice was ordering a retrial of the recently concluded US$6.2 million economic sabotage case involving former officials of the CDC administration.
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