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By Jamesetta D Williams
MONROVIA-OCTOBER 27, 2025: The Ministry of Justice has publicly addressed what it calls a “persistent smear campaign” being waged against it by one of its employee, Mr. Ballah Yargbo, who was suspended earlier this year for alleged financial irregularities and later referred to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) for investigation.
In a statement issued Friday, the Ministry expressed deep concern over what it described as “a relentless wave of derogatory Facebook posts” from Mr. Yargbo, who operates under the social media name “Mai Son.”
The Ministry said the posts are intended to “woo and buy undue public sympathy” and “pressure the Ministry into abandoning a good faith effort to probe suspected economic sabotage.”
According to the statement, the matter dates back to an internal audit conducted by the Ministry’s Internal Audit Unit on the Bureau of Correction and Rehabilitation (BCR). The audit allegedly uncovered discrepancies amounting to US$29,000 in the procurement, delivery, and distribution of medical supplies to prison facilities across the country.
Following the audit findings, three employees, including Mr. Yargbo, were suspended in accordance with the Civil Service Agency (CSA) Standing Orders, Section 4.2.6, and referred to the LACC for independent criminal investigation.
The Ministry noted that while the LACC’s investigation took more than six months due to “limited human and financial resources,” the suspended staff continued to receive their full salaries throughout the period even though CSA rules only require half-pay after the first month of suspension.
However, before the LACC could officially communicate its findings, Mr. Yargbo took to Facebook on August 29, 2025, claiming he had been cleared of wrongdoing and accusing the Minister of Justice, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, of bias. He alleged that the Minister’s past legal work for his stepfather, Mr. J. Henric Pearson, influenced his suspension — an accusation the Ministry called “delusional and baseless.”
The Ministry explained that while Minister Tweh previously worked at a law firm that represented Mr. Pearson in a property dispute involving Mr. Yargbo, that relationship has “no bearing” on his current duties. The statement clarified that the Minister had, in fact, helped Mr. Yargbo recover more than US$46,000 and L$3 million from his late mother’s estate evidence, the Ministry said, of the Minister’s goodwill rather than hostility.
On October 6, 2025, the Ministry received the LACC’s official report, which found no criminal wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Yargbo and his colleagues. However, the LACC did cite “procedural failures and administrative lapses” that warranted internal disciplinary actions. Based on the findings, the Ministry lifted the suspension of all three employees and reassigned them to positions comparable in rank and pay to their previous roles.
Mr. Yargbo, formerly the Assistant Director of Prisons, was transferred to the Gbarnga Regional Hub as Outreach Coordinator, a position the Ministry said “is comparable in class and benefits.” The Ministry rejected his claim that the move amounted to a demotion, emphasizing that the transfer complied with Section 3.4.9(b) of the CSA Standing Orders.
“The alarming rate at which Mr. Yargbo has resorted to tarnishing the image of the Ministry through social media tantrums, simply to appear as a victim, is absurd,” the statement added.
Concluding, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness, and due process, stating:
“The Ministry of Justice, under the administration of Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, will never engage in actions that infringe upon the rights of its staff or the public. Every action of this Ministry is guided by law, best practice, and expediency.”