Liberia faces scrutiny over anti-corruption impartiality and ministerial allegations

Liberian political figures are raising concerns regarding the impartiality and integrity of the current administration's legal and anti-corruption efforts.

Senator Augustine Chea has criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s anti-corruption campaign, suggesting that prosecutorial standards may vary based on political affiliation. Chea noted that while officials from the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, such as former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr., have faced vigorous prosecution, other cases involving different political camps have faced procedural hurdles or dismissals. He cited the dismissal of a corruption case involving former Bureau of State-Owned Enterprises Director General Arthur S. Massaquoi due to prosecutorial delays as a point of concern.

Simultaneously, legal representatives are defending Justice Minister and Attorney General N. Oswald Tweh against allegations linking him to individuals involved in a US$317 million drug case. Siafa Bahn Kemokai, special assistant to the minister, defended Tweh’s character, arguing that accusations of receiving gifts from traffickers lack credible evidence and represent an attempt to weaponize political disagreement into character assassination.