False: CJ Gbeisay Never Ordered a Probe Into Alleged Jury Tampering in the US$6.2M Corruption Case
Claim: "Chief Justice directs investigation into alleged jury tampering in Samuel Tweah's case."
Full Text: The US$6.2 million economic sabotage case is one of the most politically consequential corruption trials in Liberia's post-war history.
Prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) charged former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr., former Acting Justice Minister Nyenati Tuan, former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, former FIA Comptroller Moses P. Cooper, and former FIA Director General Stanley Ford with economic sabotage, theft, money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and related offenses, arising from the alleged unlawful transfer of more than US$6.2 million and L$1 billion during the final months of the Weah administration.
The direct claim is, "A publication circulating on Facebook under the headline "CJ Gbeisay Orders Probe Into Alleged Jury Tampering in US$6.2M Corruption Case" claims that Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay personally ordered an investigation into alleged jury tampering connected to the high-profile economic sabotage trial involving former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and co-defendants."
On May 8, 2026, a 15-member jury at Criminal Court "C" in Monrovia delivered a split verdict: Tweah and Cooper were acquitted on all counts; Tuan was convicted of theft of property, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy; Karmoh was found guilty of criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy; Ford's jury was hung.
The mixed outcome immediately generated intense public debate and political controversy in the environment in which the false claim emerged.
The post on Closing Argument and on SpoonTV generated over 989 reactions, 576 comments, and 158 shares as of the time of this verification.
Verdict: False, Chief Justice has ordered no probe into the recent verdict of criminal court "A" in the criminal trial involving Samuel D. Tweah, former finance minister.
Verification: We reviewed if the same report was published by credible outlets, including FrontPageAfrica, The New Dawn, the Liberian Observer, and Smart News Liberia, which all covered the trial extensively, and found zero reporting of any such directive from the Chief Justice. These outlets did cover the Judiciary's denial.
TSM notes that it is constitutionally and legally implausible. Under Liberia's constitutional framework and judicial procedures, the Chief Justice does not unilaterally intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings or issue investigatory directives into jury deliberations in cases still before the courts. Due process guarantees and institutional safeguards prevent precisely this kind of interference.
The US$6.2 million trial, the May 8, 2026 split verdict, and the post-verdict legal filings are all confirmed by multiple credible media outlets. The controversy over the verdict, particularly Tweah's acquittal, created fertile ground for misinformation.
In a statement signed by Caesar Slapeh, Director of Communications, the Judiciary described the publication as "categorically false, misleading, reckless, and clearly intended to create a false impression" that the Chief Justice improperly inserted himself into the criminal proceedings.
The statement states, "At no time did the Chief Justice issue any mandate, order, directive, or instruction authorizing an investigation into alleged jury tampering concerning the matter referenced in the publication. The story is entirely fabricated and bears absolutely no resemblance to any official action or position of the Judiciary."
Under the laws and constitutional framework of the Republic of Liberia, the Chief Justice does not arbitrarily intervene in criminal proceedings or undertake unilateral investigatory actions regarding jury deliberations in matters pending before the courts.
Liberia’s judicial system is governed by clearly established legal procedures, due process guarantees, and institutional safeguards that prevent precisely the kind of improper interference maliciously suggested by the publication.
Jury tampering is a serious criminal offense that occurs when a person bribes a grand juror or petit juror to improperly influence the juror’s vote or decision and secure a verdict favorable to the accused.
Any person who gives money or anything of value for that purpose commits a first-degree felony. Under Section 12.50 of the Liberian Penal Code, both the person offering the bribe and the jurors receiving it are criminally liable and may be arrested, indicted, and prosecuted for obstruction of justice and bribery.
Under Liberian law, any person who offers a bribe or anything of value to influence a juror’s verdict is guilty of jury tampering, and both the giver and the recipient of the bribe are criminally liable for that offense.
Conclusion: The claim that the chief justice ordered a probe into alleged jury tempering in the $US6.2 million corruption case is false. It is unsupported by any official record, credible news reporting, or legal precedent. The Judiciary has formally and categorically denied it. The claim appears designed to exploit public tensions following a controversial mixed verdict, a common misinformation tactic.
