NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice has launched an investigation into allegations of jury misconduct and possible tampering in the ongoing corruption trial involving several former government officials accused of economic sabotage and other related crimes.
By: Staff Writer
According to a citation issued by the Office of the Clerk of the First Judicial Circuit on May 18, defense lawyers representing former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweh, former Acting Justice Minister Nyanti Tuan, former Financial Intelligence Agency Director General Stanley S. Ford, former Financial Intelligence Agency Comptroller D. Moses P. Cooper, and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh have been ordered to appear before the court on May 20.
The court’s action follows sworn affidavits reportedly submitted by three jurors who participated in the trial, alleging misconduct during the proceedings.
Court documents show that the defendants are facing multiple charges, including economic sabotage, theft of property, money laundering, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
The citation, issued on the instruction of Assigned Circuit Judge Ousman F. Feika, further stated that hearings on the defendants’ motion for a new trial have been put on hold until the investigation into the jury misconduct allegations is concluded.
Earlier this month the jurors acquitted Mr. Tweah from all corruption charges in the US$6.2 million economic sabotage trial which had since sparked huge public mix-reactions.
Some believe that evidence provided by the statement against Mr. Tweah and other co-defendants were enough to find all of them guilty while others think the state had no strong evidence to convict the accused.
