MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Liberia’s Supreme Court is preparing to deliver a potentially consequential judgment in a long-running criminal case involving former senior officials of the Forestry Development Authority and the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy who were convicted of allegedly defrauding the Government of Liberia of approximately US$6 million through illegal forestry permits.
Associate Justice Boakai N. Kanneh is scheduled to deliver the Court’s judgment on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., in the appeal involving former FDA Managing Director Moses Wogbeh, former Technical Manager John Kanto, former Commercial Forestry Manager Janger Kamara, former Grand Bassa County Surveyor David Blayee, and former Director of Cartography at the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy Maxwell Gwee.
The case dates back more than a decade and stems from allegations surrounding the issuance of forestry permits that prosecutors said resulted in substantial financial losses to the Liberian government.
The defendants were convicted in 2015 by Criminal Court “C” Judge Peter W. Gbenewelleh after being found guilty of economic sabotage, forgery, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of government functions.
The lower court determined that the defendants had participated in activities involving illegal forestry permits that allegedly deprived the state of approximately US$6 million.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the defendants appealed to the Supreme Court, asking the country’s highest court to overturn or modify the judgment.
Their appeal has now reached the point of final determination, placing the Supreme Court at the center of a case that has continued through Liberia’s judicial system for years.
The Thursday judgment will therefore be closely watched by legal practitioners, government officials and members of the public interested in accountability for alleged financial wrongdoing involving state resources and the forestry sector.
The case also highlights the legal consequences that can follow alleged abuse of authority within government institutions responsible for managing Liberia’s natural resources.
The Forestry Development Authority has historically played a critical role in regulating the country’s forest resources, issuing concessions and overseeing activities within the forestry sector.
The involvement of officials from both the FDA and the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy makes the case particularly significant because of the alleged coordination required to facilitate the forestry permits at issue.
At the heart of the appeal is whether the lower court correctly convicted the defendants and whether the evidence and legal findings supporting those convictions can withstand Supreme Court scrutiny.
The Supreme Court’s decision could ultimately affirm the lower court’s judgment, modify aspects of it or overturn the convictions, depending on the Court’s findings.
The judgment comes as the Supreme Court prepares to conclude its current judicial term with an unusually heavy docket involving both criminal and civil matters.
The Court has scheduled 55 cases for final rulings over Thursday and Friday.
Thirty cases are expected to be decided on Thursday, while another 25 cases are scheduled for Friday.
The breadth of the docket demonstrates the volume of litigation before Liberia’s highest court, with cases ranging from serious criminal prosecutions to ejectment proceedings and debt disputes.
For the defendants in the forestry case, however, Thursday’s ruling represents a critical moment in a legal battle that began with their 2015 convictions.
For the government, the case has broader implications for efforts to protect public resources and hold public officials accountable for alleged abuses committed while exercising state authority.
The Supreme Court’s judgment will therefore not only determine the immediate legal status of the five appellants but could also reinforce or alter the judicial interpretation of accountability for alleged economic crimes involving Liberia’s natural resources.
