By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA — Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, has sharply criticized the Minister of Justice over what he describes as a growing “trust deficit” in Liberia’s legal system, accusing the current administration of selective prosecution and intimidation of judicial actors.
Reacting to comments made by the Attorney General at the Ministry of Information (MOI) on Thursday, August 6, regarding the role of facts and evidence in public governance, Tweah noted that while he agrees with the principle of evidence-based investigations, the Ministry of Justice’s recent actions undermine its public messaging.
Allegations of Juror Intimidation and Political Bias
In a public statement addressed directly to the Justice Minister via his official Facebook page, the former Finance Minister alleged that the government is weaponizing the judicial system to target political opponents, despite courts rendering acquittals based on established facts.
“Under you as minister, facts and evidence were adduced in a court of law to acquit political opponents of the Rescue Government, and your ministry is manipulating the justice system to illegally intimidate jurors, though as minister you had already publicly accepted the verdict,” Tweah stated. “This is the very politics you declaimed against today.”
Tweah asserted that the opposition and the broader public cannot place confidence in a government that insists on strict standards of evidence in high-profile drug cases while simultaneously overriding judicial outcomes that do not favor its political agenda.
Concerns Over Ongoing High-Profile Drug Probe
Addressing the ongoing investigation into major drug trafficking activity in the country, Tweah claimed the administration is selectively ignoring evidence that potentially links senior officials within the government and joint security agencies to the scandal.
He rejected the Justice Minister’s suggestion that members of the public who distrust local security agencies should share information directly with U.S. authorities.
“Your statement that the public should provide information to the Americans if they do not trust the security actors leading the investigation is not a solution to the trust deficit the Government faces, since it is not the Americans that are leading the investigation,” Tweah argued.
Call for Independent Inquiry
Emphasizing that institutional consistency is essential for maintaining public trust, the former finance minister concluded by urging the Minister of Justice to advise the presidency to remove internal conflicts of interest by appointing an external body to oversee the drug probe.
“I encourage you to call on the President to announce an independent investigation!” Tweah urged, reiterating that without an independent panel, the current administration cannot overcome the public’s perception of political bias.
As of the time of this report, the Ministry of Justice or the government of Liberia has not responded to Tweah’s allegations.
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