MONROVIA, LIBERIA – A more than decade-long legal battle over the alleged loss of approximately US$6 million in government revenue has culminated in prison sentences for five former officials of the Forestry Development Authority and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Liberia’s Supreme Court on Thursday, August 27, 2026, upheld their convictions for Economic Sabotage and ordered each of the former officials to spend one year in prison and pay US$10,000 in restitution.
The judgment was read by Associate Justice His Honor Boakai N. Kanneh during the Supreme Court’s 30th Day’s Session of the March Term, A.D. 2026.
Those convicted are Moses Wogbeh, former Managing Director of the FDA; John Kanto, former Technical Manager of the FDA; Janger Kamara, former Manager for Commercial Forestry; David Blayee, former Grand Bassa County Surveyor; and Maxwell Gwee, former Director of Cartography at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
At the heart of the case were 61 Private Use Permits alleged to have been illegally issued or processed, resulting in an estimated US$6 million loss in revenue to the Liberian government.
The former officials appealed their convictions to the Supreme Court, but the country’s highest court rejected the challenge and affirmed the finding of Economic Sabotage.
The Court’s decision means the five former officials will collectively serve five years in prison, calculated as one year for each individual, while their combined restitution obligation stands at US$50,000.
The ruling represents one of the more consequential judicial developments involving Liberia’s forestry sector and comes after the case spent more than a decade moving through the justice system.
Beyond the individual penalties, the judgment puts renewed focus on the responsibility of public officials who exercise regulatory authority over the country’s natural resources.
Liberia’s forests have long represented an important national economic and environmental asset. The administration of permits governing their use therefore carries significant implications for public revenue, environmental protection and the credibility of state institutions.
The Supreme Court’s decision reinforces the principle that government officials can be held personally accountable when their actions are found to have caused economic harm to the state.
The ruling also illustrates the importance of judicial enforcement in cases involving alleged abuse of public authority and loss of government revenue.
For the government, the outcome represents a significant victory in its efforts to strengthen accountability in the management of natural resources and public assets.
For the convicted former officials, the Supreme Court’s decision closes their appeal at the highest level of Liberia’s judiciary and triggers the penalties ordered by the Court.
The case now moves from prolonged litigation to enforcement, with the five former officials facing their respective one-year prison terms and US$10,000 restitution obligations.
The judgment serves as a reminder that the management of Liberia’s natural resources carries significant public responsibility and that violations found by the courts can produce consequences long after officials leave public office.
