Wonderr K. Freeman, Attorney, CFCS

It’s now clear that former president George M. Weah and his security chiefs took out at least USD 178m in cash – in what was ostensibly a massive covert operation fraud. Using his authority as President of Liberia, Mr. Weah coordinated and directed this massive fraud, using agents at the National Security Agency (NSA), the Ministry of State (MOS), the Executive Protection Agency (EPA), and the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). Following in the footsteps of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Fombah Sirleaf, Mr. Weah and his security directors spent the entire six years misusing and abusing the Government of Liberia (GOL) money. They went to the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) repeatedly and drew down cash by the millions – without reports, without accountability. They say it’s presidential “immunity”, and they also say that it’s “covert operations”; accordingly, they say they owe no explanation to the people of Liberia. In the process of perpetrating this massive covert operation fraud, they violated myriad laws on fiscal probity and financial accountability.

As noted above, Liberia has multiple laws on fiscal probity and accountability. From the Public Financial Management Law (2009) to the GAC Act (2014), from the Public Procurement Law (2005, 2010) to the Local Government Act (2018), there is a recurrent reference to accountability. There is also an anti-money laundering statute (2013, 2022) and multiple regulations governing suspicious financial transactions and guardrails on the withdrawal of cash from the banking system. Even the National Security Act (2011) calls for due diligence and accountability, contrary to Mr. Weah and associates’ espoused claim that this law authorizes the President and the security agencies to use GOL funds without accounting for it. For the record, the NSA Act provides for the following:

1. Internal audits & Inspector General’s Inspections– Section 6(f))
2. Financial audits – Section 11 (c.), Financial [Control]
3. MFDP’s and MOJ supervision Section 6(d), ii, iii, Section 10,
4. Legislative Oversight – Section 8
5. Presidential directive and control – Section 11(a) – (d)
6. Code of Conduct – Section 11 (c.),

George Weah’s covert operation fraud – too big to ignore

George Weah’s covert operation fraud is simply too big to ignore. While the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the LACC are too busy looking the other way, the sheer scale of this criminality (at US$178m) means the matter will keep coming up until George Weah and his agents answer for their crimes. This is what the CBL regulation on cash transactions provides
1.1.2.1 CBL/SD/01/2006 CBL Directive on Encashment of Checks Payable to Corporate or
Institutional Entities issued August 7, 2006 states “The CBL hereby promulgates and
issues the following directive regarding the encashment/deposit of checks payable to
corporate or institutional entities.

1. All commercial banks are prohibited from accepting for encashment or deposit
   checks payable to corporate or institutional entities which are endorsed to
   individuals.
2. All checks payable to corporate or institutional entities should be deposited to the
   payee’s account for subsequent withdrawals.
3. Checks payable to both a corporate/institutional entity and one or more
   individuals should not be accepted for encashment or deposit

Again, under our Penal Code (1978), Mr. Weah and his agents must answer for their conduct, which is prohibited under Liberia law. Clearly, their conduct fits one or more of the crimes below.

1. • Theft of property (Penal Law, §15.51)
2. • Misapplication of entrusted property (Penal Law, §15.56)
3. • Misuse of public money (Penal Law, §15.81)
4. • Theft and/or Illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money (Penal Law, §15.82)
   
5. Liberia also has several laws on money laundering and financial crimes. Under our anti-money laundering law (FIA Act 2022), Mr. Weah and his agents must answer for prohibited conduct under Liberia law—some of which are listed below.

• Money laundering offenses – §15.2.1
• Assisting others to retain the benefits of proceeds of crime (§15.3.30.1)
• Acquisition, possession, and use of property representing proceeds of crime (§15.3.30.2)
• Concealing or transferring proceeds of crime (§15.3.30.3)

It is quite unfortunate that the MOJ and the LNP spent precious government time and other resources chasing pickpockets. But now they have a GAC audit report (2024) that has deeply implicated the former president (Mr. Weah and his agents in multiple crimes), and yet, Mr. Weah is present in Liberia and is not being charged or prosecuted. Is he above the law? Is George Weah too big to prosecute? It seems to me that our MOJ, LACC, and the LNP certainly think that Mr. Weah and his agents can abuse the public trust and walk away with USD 178m of GOL money and never have to account to anybody for their fraud. The last time I checked, Liberia was a republic with a constitution that provides for accountability and that nobody, absolutely nobody, is above the law – not even a former president. It’s high time the MOJ lived up to its solemn responsibility without fear or favor. What George Weah and others at the NSA, MOS, EPS, & FIU did was pure fraud, and their “covert operations” claims are simply a flimsy excuse to avoid accountability. If pickpockets and armed robbers are not getting away with their crimes, I don’t see any reason why Mr. Weah and his agents should get away with their US$178m fraud. It’s time for some accountability. It’s time for an end to impunity. George Weah and his agents looted the treasury; they must be held to account. It’s that simple!

Unity Party Government Must Keep Its Promise of Rule of Law and Accountability

In 2023, when the Unity Party sought political power, they made many lofty promises about governing by the rule of law and equality before the law. It is time to practice what they preach. What George Weah and others did in the name of “covert operations” is fraud and theft on the grandest scale. No one should be able to misuse and abuse US$178m of GOL funds and walk away with impunity. If truly no one is above the law, then Mr. Weah and his accomplices at the NSA, MOS, EPS & FIA must be charged and prosecuted in keeping with law. This is not asking for much. This is simply asking for the due process of law to take its logical course. At least USD 178m of the Liberian people’s money was looted, and those responsible must be made to answer.

George Weah Fraud by the Numbers

George Weah’s Massive Covert Operations Fraud; How He Did It.

George Weah’s Massive Covert Operations Fraud; The Full Story, Ordered By Value (High – Low)

George Weah’s Massive Covert Operations Fraud: The Full Story in Reverse Chronological Order