Liberia's AREPT accused of witness tampering in Saudi rice trial

New allegations of witness tampering have emerged in the ongoing Saudi rice criminal trial in Liberia. Defense lawyer Cllr. Gbawou Kowou accused the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) of attempting to intimidate or interfere with witnesses who had recently provided testimony for the defense in Criminal Court “C”.

The confrontation occurred at AREPT’s headquarters in Paynesville. Kowou, who livestreamed the incident, alleged that witnesses were being pressured at the facility and accused AREPT Chairman Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin of directing them to report to the agency. The defense maintains that witnesses who have already testified should not be subjected to questioning by officials connected to the prosecution.

AREPT has strongly denied these allegations, characterizing the incident as a misunderstanding. The taskforce stated that the individuals in question were not summoned for interrogation and that agency lawyers requested they leave once it was discovered they had recently appeared as defense witnesses.