A Liberian jury has convicted three former senior officials from ex-President George Weah’s administration over the alleged diversion of humanitarian rice donated by Saudi Arabia. The convicted officials are former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, former Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf and former Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Momolu Johnson, following a 40-day trial.
Prosecutors said 29,412 bags of rice, valued at 425,918 US dollars and donated in April 2023 for disaster victims, included approximately 25,054 bags that could not be accounted for through authorised distribution channels. Former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Thelma Duncan Sawyer was acquitted of all charges. The case is proceeding towards sentencing, while seven people have reportedly been convicted in the wider case.