Africa-Press – Liberia. Four prominent members of the Liberian Senate have formally written to the plenary, through Senate Pro-Temp Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, shifting responsibility onto the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MOFDP) regarding the damaging General Auditing Commission (GAC) report, which revealed the alleged mismanagement of over US$26 million.
The senators also moved to summon the Minister of Justice, Cllr. N. Osward Tweh, for clarification on the withdrawal of a subpoena previously issued against the Senate.
The communication, submitted by Senators Amara M. Konneh, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Abraham Darius Dillon, and Edwin Melvin Snowe on Thursday, February 26, 2026, outlined their roles as members with oversight responsibility for public accounts, expenditures, and audits.
Their letter, titled Request to Invite the Minister of Justice to Clarify Procedural Irregularities Surrounding the Subpoena Issued Against the Liberian Senate, highlighted the Senate’s concern with the Ministry of Justice’s recent actions.
According to the senators, the Senate had noted the Ministry of Justice’s application to Criminal Court “A” for a Writ of Subpoena Duces Tecum against Senate officers, and the subsequent notice to quash the subpoena on February 24, 2026.
The sequence of these events, they argued, raises profound procedural and institutional questions needing immediate clarification from the Minister of Justice—even though the Senate accepted the withdrawal.
“The Ministry of Justice misidentified the responsible institution. The Auditor General’s Report on the System Review of the Financial Management System and Accounting Processes of the Liberian Senate (Period Ended March 31, 2024) explicitly states: ‘Financial operations processed by MFDP rather than the Senate Finance Department.’ This finding definitively shows that the Senate does not disburse funds, does not handle payments, does not oversee IFMIS, and does not produce fiscal outturns. Under the Public Financial Management Act, only the MOFDP has authority over cash releases, allotments, IFMIS transactions, fiscal outturn reporting, and expenditure execution,” the senators argued.
The senators also emphasized that many discrepancies cited in the Ministry of Justice’s withdrawn petition—including differences between MFDP outturns and IFMIS ledger entries—fall squarely within MFDP’s jurisdiction, not the Senate’s.
Request for Minister of Justice to Appear Before Senate
In light of these findings and the Senate’s constitutional oversight mandate, the senators respectfully requested that the Senate invite the Minister of Justice to address several critical questions: Why did the Ministry choose to subpoena the Senate instead of the MFDP, despite the audit’s clear attribution of financial processing responsibilities to MFDP? What legal basis justified directing a criminal court subpoena at a coequal branch without prior institutional engagement? Why was the subpoena withdrawn, and does the Ministry now acknowledge that MFDP is the proper custodian of the financial records and explanations sought? Finally, how does the Ministry plan to address audit findings originating in MFDP-controlled systems?
The communication further described the Ministry of Justice’s action as procedurally improper, demonstrating a disregard for established institutional protocols. The Ministry, they noted, initiated criminal court proceedings against a coequal branch of government without prior engagement, bypassing inter-branch procedures.
“The Ministry falsely labeled MFDP-controlled financial variances as Senate actions, demanded documents from an institution that does not oversee the relevant systems, and threatened the constitutional separation of powers. The subsequent withdrawal of the subpoena confirms the Ministry’s acknowledgment of these procedural errors only after the fact,” the senators lamented.
Despite the controversy, the senators assured that the Liberian Senate remains committed to accountability, transparency, and cooperation with the Auditor General’s recommendations. They commended ongoing reforms that resulted in the Senate’s first-ever systems audit, noting the Senate finance office’s collaboration with a seasoned financial consultant and the GAC to implement the recommendations. They also criticized the Ministry of Justice for attempting to use the audit to tarnish the Senate’s reputation.
“Nevertheless, accountability must be pursued within the appropriate legal and institutional framework, with full respect for the constitutional order. We insist that you extend an invitation to the Minister of Justice on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to provide the necessary clarifications,” they concluded. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
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