No Plan to Arrest Weah-Gov’t

By Lincoln G. Peters

MONROVIA, Liberia, September 1, 2026: Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah has dismissed speculation that the government is planning to arrest former President George Manneh Weah upon his return to Liberia, describing the reports as unfounded.

Piah’s denial follows concerns raised within the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) over the possibility of Weah’s arrest amid heightened political tensions and the detention of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.

Speaking on a local radio station Monday, Piah said the government has no plan to arrest the former President, rejecting reports circulating among CDC supporters.

Speculation about Weah’s possible arrest intensified Sunday, August 30, at the CDC’s temporary headquarters in Sinkor after former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. urged supporters to turn out in large numbers to welcome Weah at Roberts International Airport on Wednesday, September 2.

Tweah said the call for a massive turnout was not intended merely as a demonstration of the CDC’s political strength, but was prompted by what he described as a worsening political climate in the country.

“We have welcomed him with a massive crowd before, but the circumstances then were different,” Tweah said. “The former vice president of the country is in jail illegally. Wednesday is the biggest day in Liberia’s history.”

He said Weah’s return would mark the beginning of a renewed political push by the opposition to confront what he characterized as challenges to democracy and the rule of law.

“We will be trooping here as he comes to face the challenges that we are now facing,” Tweah said.

The former Finance Minister also criticized the government’s prosecution of former Vice President Howard-Taylor, arguing that the charges against her are politically motivated.

Tweah said governments have enormous powers to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes, but warned that such authority should not be used to manufacture charges against political opponents.

“Governments all over the world have the advantage in prosecuting and charging people, but the government should not invent a charge because it is the government,” he said.

He maintained that Howard-Taylor is innocent of the charges against her and accused the administration of undermining confidence in the country’s justice system.

The government has denied allegations of politically motivated prosecutions and has maintained that ongoing criminal cases should be allowed to proceed through the courts.

Tweah Claims CDC Outperformed UP

Meanwhile, Tweah used the occasion to defend the former CDC administration’s economic and governance record, claiming that it performed better than the current Unity Party government in economic management, investment, accountability and the rule of law.

He cited Liberia’s international reserves and economic growth figures to support his argument.

“We inherited a reserve of one hundred and ten million from the UP government. We handed this government a reserve of two hundred and twenty million,” Tweah said.

He claimed that Liberia’s net international reserves currently stand at about US$250 million, arguing that the increase under the current administration has been relatively modest.

Tweah also asserted that the CDC administration left office with economic growth at about 4.8 percent, compared with what he described as significantly lower growth when the party assumed power in 2018.

“On the economy, they cannot beat the CDC,” he argued.

Turning to governance, Tweah pointed to reforms of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) under the Weah administration, saying changes to the commission’s legal framework were intended to strengthen its independence and accountability.

He said CDC officials were prepared to account for their stewardship of government but insisted that investigations and prosecutions must be conducted transparently and in accordance with the law.

“We are not afraid of fighting corruption. We are not afraid of accounting for the stewardship of our country, but if we want to do so, we want to do so under laws that are fair and transparent,” Tweah said.

He concluded by accusing the current administration of performing poorly on the rule of law, saying: “On the economy, they cannot beat the CDC. The rule of law is a disaster.”