MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Former Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah, says during the COVID-19 crisis, there was no formal procurement done, with the transfers of money to the World Food Program (WFP).

Defendant Tweah told the Court and jury that the Government of Liberia thought and believed the WFP was the best institution to do the distributions, with the government and international communities’ consent.

When asked by a juror about reconciling expenditure in his report framework, either oral or written request, Tweah said the original request is of no significance, and emergency monies need to be spent fast.

On the issue of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) emergency issue in 2023, he said the request came in the form of a consensus from the National Security Council (NSC), and maintained that the letter of request in these transactions is not significant for accountability.

Responding to factors that characterized a situation as a national emergency, and who has the sole authority to declare a national emergency, Samuel Tweah said,” The President, who is also the Chair of the NSC, can declare an emergency, and all national security monies cannot be made known to the public on how they should be expended”.

Earlier, subpoena witness, Theo Lamine, of the Central Bank of Liberia, told the Court that there was no money left with him at the Bank, but Tweah denied the allegations.