Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. has accused the Unity Party regime and media personalities of spreading lies and propaganda to destroy innocent individuals in the public space for political motives. Speaking at a press conference at the Congress for Democratic Change Headquarters in Congo Town, Monrovia, Tweah condemned the culture of dishonesty in Liberian politics and media, citing his own experience as a target of malicious rumors.
The $30 Million COVID-19 Scandal Rumor: Tweah specifically addressed rumors of his alleged involvement in a $30 million COVID-19 scandal, which he described as “malicious garbage.” According to Tweah, Stanton Witherspoon, a media personality, claimed on his network that Tweah would be arrested over the scandal. Tweah presented evidence to debunk the rumors, including publicly available reports on the COVID-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) funded by a $25 million loan from the International Monetary Fund and a $5 million grant from the World Bank.
The Facts Behind the COHFSP: Former Finance Minister Tweah explained that the funds were deposited directly into the bank account of the World Food Program (WFP), which was responsible for distributing food to Liberian households during the pandemic. According to the final report of the COHFSP, the WFP spent $23.838 million and had a balance of $1.171 million to transfer back to the government, as well as $857,555 to be returned to the World Bank. Tweah also presented letters from the current Finance Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuah, requesting results on the utilization of the unutilized funds for school feeding.
Response to the Rumors: Tweah described the rumors as a conspiracy to destroy his reputation and announced that he has instructed his lawyers to file a libel lawsuit against Witherspoon. “I don’t care about Mr. Witherspoon and his sources; I care that Liberians have falsely been made to believe I am illegally connected to some $30 million dollars,” Tweah said.
Call for Honest National Discourse: Hon Tweah called for a more honest national discourse, emphasizing that fighting corruption should not involve spreading lies and false narratives. “We cannot fight corruption by lying on innocent people; by sustaining fake and false narratives in the public when the facts are evident and clear as day,” he concluded.