TWEAH FIRES BACK -Repels ‘Culture of Lies, Politically Motivated Allegations’

MONROVIA – It seems Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., former Finance Minister in the erstwhile Coalition for Democratic Change government, who is fondly labelled ‘the CDC ideologue’, is taking more bullets, others would call it ‘politically motivated ballistic missiles’, than any of his contemporaries, as if the intent was to finish him once and for all. Pundits say Tweah’s post-government profile is overly laden with rains of allegations, ranging from economic sabotage, theft, or corruption to murder, etc., and hardly does a day passes by in the country without one allegation after the other targeting him. Tweah associates recently mocked his opponents who engaged in ‘rowdy political targeting of him’, saying, ‘this man will soon be accused for sex and drug trafficking, and even espionage and treason, and that he would not remain un-charged with any crime in the criminal encyclopaedia before 2029’. Last week, Mr. Tweah who is the former Africa Development Bank manager’s cup was full, and he, in his characteristically thorough and eloquent way, measuredly fired back, as The Analyst reports.  

Samuel D. Tweah, former Finance and Development Planning Minister, who has been a target of multiple accusations since his Coalition for Democratic Change government was democratically ousted in 2023, mustered the courage to take the public stand, arranging a well-attended press conference, to debunk his critics and accusers. 

The immediate cause of these rounds of accusations was what he and his supporters called “sustained campaign of misinformation, political attacks, and character assassination targeting him and other former officials of the CDC administration”.

At the press conference Tweah emphasized that the conference was not about his ongoing legal case, but about exposing what he described as the broader culture of dishonesty and political weaponization of falsehoods in Liberia’s public discourse.

“Today’s press conference will center instead on the political factors, the lies, the hate, the envy, the propaganda, the dishonesty and the shenanigans that aim to destroy innocent individuals in the public space for political motives,” he said.

He added: “The question today we will ask is why would people in our society, in our government, in our political parties, in our media, in our religious institutions know the honest truth, or aspects of this truth, but would refuse to say anything when blatant falsifications are being hashed by malicious individuals to destroy innocent people. Why do those who know the truth on matters become willing accomplices to destroy others by their dangerous silence?”

COVID-19 Food Fund Allegations

His political opponents excavated the long-gone COVID-19 operations and have been singling him out for the financial handling of things during the pandemic.

But the former Finance Minister Tweah categorically denied any wrongdoing in the management of the US$30 million COVID-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) funds.

He clarified that the entire US$25 million from the IMF and an additional US$5 million from the World Bank were transferred directly to the World Food Programme (WFP), and were not managed or spent by the Ministry of Finance or any Liberian government official.

By July 2022, Tweah said clearly that the WFP reported spending about US$23.8 million, with a little over US$2 million remaining unspent, and that the balance was to be returned to the government and the World Bank, but had not been returned by the time the CDC administration left office.

According to him, he presented documentation and turnover notes showing that the WFP was solely responsible for the funds’ management and expenditure, and that any investigation should focus on the WFP, not him or the CDC government.

“Today, I am exposing the conspiration by Mr. Witherspoon and others to get Samuel Tweah involved in some false $30 million COVID-19 scandal” for which Mr. Witherspoon said on his network on last Thursday, June 26, 2029, that “I would be arrested”  by government.”

“I have here the video footage of Mr. Witherspoon’s comments and will play it before taking questions. More than 100,000 Liberians must have heard this malicious garbage. Several persons have since called me to ascertain the veracity of his injurious rant against my person, and since, people are actually having conversations about my “pending arrest,” with some urging me to change my sleeping location. All of this for something, not only that I really didn’t do and for a wrong I did not commit.”

He made it clear that if the Government was investigating the COVID-19 WFP food distribution, it is the WFP that would be under investigation and not him.

“I believe publicly demonstrating the abject falsity and bogosity of these Witherspoon-inspired rumors concerning a supposedly the $30 million COVID scandal, the public will appreciate the extent and scope of the conspiration against me and may begin to ask why I am the target of this conspiracy.”

Response to Media and Political Opponents

Though expenditure of donations made to fight COVID-19 were carried out by the World Food Program, and the traditionally corruption-sensitive donors are yet to raise any red flag, opponents, including media organs continue to run with stories linking Tweah.  

At the press conference Friday, Tweah retorted, specifically singling out Stanton Witherspoon, owner and host of the Spoon TV Network, of leading a four-year campaign of defamation and misinformation, including recent claims that he (Tweah) would be arrested over the COVID-19 funds.

The former Finance Minister announced plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Witherspoon, stating that such falsehoods have caused public panic and damaged his reputation. He said he was consulting his lawyers and there are substantial grounds for a defamation suit.

He said: “Mr. Witherspoon has used his Spoon network to malign my person and spew out misinformation concerning me for more than four years while I served as Minister of Finance. Even out of power, he continues to pursue me. Although Mr. Witherspoon faces several lawsuits for libel, he does not seem deterred in maligning innocent people, aiming to destroy their reputation. In the last six years, I have treated these machinations as coming with the political territory, offering public clarifications or denunciations.

“I have always believed a public official should be willing to withstand public scrutiny. But malicious attempts to demean and damage the reputation of an individual is a far cry from public scrutiny.  Clearly, these lawsuits have evidently not deterred Mr. Witherspoon and those of his ilk.”

Documentation and Transparency

In further refutation of that false allegation against him, Tweah referenced publicly available reports, letters, and turnover notes to support his claims. Some of these communications include a letter from the current Finance Minister approving the use of a portion of the unspent COVID-19 funds for school feeding, which Tweah himself had previously declined to approve, and evidence that the CDC administration left clear recommendations for the incoming government regarding the remaining funds.

Tweh further revealed: “But it gets more interesting. I have a letter dated March 2025 from Finance Minister Mr. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuah requesting results to expect from the $234,350 or 20% of the unutilized COVID-19 food distribution funding he had previously approved for expenditure on school feeding as requested by the WFP. An earlier letter from the Minister in September 2024 reads his denial of a request from the Country Director of the WFP to use $500,000 of the unused funds for school feeding. I also have a May 2023 letter from the former Country Director of WFP Mr. Aliou Diongue requesting my approval for said reallocation. Mr. Aliou personally visited me and I told him then I was not in a position to grant such approval.

“Let’s imagine Minister Ngafuah has approved the reallocation and Mr. Tweah is being rumored to be arrested for it. Imagine if Samuel Tweah had approved this fund, the rumor would have been ‘Tweah used the WFP money for CDC election’ and I might have long been arrested. So, if my arrests would be based on shenanigans like these, my detractors would need to do a whole lot more to get Samuel Tweah.”

Broader Political and Social Critique

Continuously targeted with trumped up allegations, which are often times shrugged by those who know the truth from their vintage points, Tweah used the press conference to decry “the culture of silence among those who know the truth but do not speak out against falsehoods, including members of government, political parties, media, and religious institutions”.

He called for a higher standard of truth and verification in journalism and public commentary, warning that the weaponizing of lies undermines national discourse and the fight against corruption.

Trust in the Judiciary and Rule of Law

Tweah expressed confidence in Liberia’s judicial system, citing improvements in judicial independence and the rule of law since the civil war era. He stated his willingness to submit to any investigation, legitimate or otherwise, and reaffirmed his commitment to vindicating himself through legal means.

Economic and Policy Issues

Speaking to economic and policy issues, Tweah highlighted the CDC administration’s achievements in securing long-term financing for roads and electricity, ensuring that future administrations would benefit from these arrangements.

He discussed the challenges of Liberia’s budget constraints, wage bill, and the need for honest political dialogue about what government can and cannot solve for the Liberian people.

Tweah urged Liberians to move beyond “trivial politics” and focus on reconciliation, truth, and the real issues facing the country, warning that political witch-hunts and the manipulation of public opinion through lies would not advance Liberia’s development or unity.

LACC and President Weah

Tweah also used the press conference to discount propaganda in the public space indicating that the CDC government did little in terms of political will to the fight against corruption and that the current administration is doing well.

He said the CDC empowered and reformed the LACC to give its leverage to fight corruption, emphasizing that under President George Weah, the Commission was strengthened with new legal frameworks and greater authority to prosecute corruption cases.

LACC’s reform was such that it even diminished the President’s political authority over the institution.

Tweah said much of allegations against him and other officials of the CDC have political motivation.

He argued that the allegations are politically motivated, designed to damage his reputation and that of the CDC administration, and are being perpetuated by individuals who know the truth but remain silent for political gain.

Tweah criticized the media and social commentators for failing to verify information before publicizing damaging allegations, urging higher standards of truthfulness and accountability.

D. Tweah Jr. used the press conference to publicly refute allegations of financial impropriety, provide documentation on the management of COVID-19 relief funds, and announce legal action against those he accuses of defamation. He called for a more honest and responsible political and media environment in Liberia, emphasizing the need for truth and transparency in public discourse.

Road Financing Achievements

Regarding the debate of who has done better in terms of building the country’s road network, Tweah said all that is being done by the Unity Party government was secured by the CDC.

Tweah stated that all major road financing in Liberia was secured under the CDC government led by President Weah.

He pointed to long-term (10-year) financing arrangements for both road and electricity projects, ensuring that future administrations would benefit from these secured funds