The defense delivered its final arguments in the high-profile US$6.2 million economic sabotage case, with Cllr. Arthur Johnson urging jurors to carefully consider the evidence and the broader implications of their verdict.
According to Cllr. Johnson, the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law grants the Finance Minister the authority to disagree with the President regarding the disbursement of funds. He argued that the entire case centers on disagreements over administrative procedures rather than criminal conduct.
“The whole case is about disagreement on administrative procedures. Because this matter was based on administrative procedures, the prosecution chose to criminalize it,” Cllr. Johnson told the jury.
Johnson further argued that the prosecution failed to prove theft beyond a reasonable doubt. He stated that the government did not provide any recordings, written statements, or video footage showing that former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah personally used the money for his own benefit.
He also contended that if the State truly intended to prove theft, prosecutors should have presented CCTV footage involving interactions with Moses Cooper. According to Johnson, the footage was never shown because it allegedly contained classified national security information.
“Today, the whole country is looking at you. Today, you will be saving democracy. Today, when you return a verdict of not guilty, you will be saving the lives of many generations,” Johnson told the jury. “When you return a not guilty verdict, you will sleep like a baby.”
Addressing the issue of authorization, Johnson argued that requests and approvals related to the disbursement of funds do not necessarily need to be in writing. He accused the prosecution of selectively enforcing the law.
“What they have been telling you is that in the absence of written requests, the President cannot authorize the disbursement of funds. What they are doing is selective enforcement of the law,” he argued.
Johnson also emphasized that none of the prosecution’s witnesses denied the existence of a national security emergency. In his emotional closing remarks, he appealed directly to the conscience of the jurors.
“I told you that they saw the people who ate the money. Don’t let them use your hands. Go and return a not guilty verdict on these defendants and see how the country will celebrate you,” Johnson concluded. “The authority you have comes from the Constitution. Don’t return a guilty verdict. Don’t do it.”
