Liberia Jury Convicts 2 Former Ministers in Rice Case
LIBERIA · COURTS
Key Facts
- —What happened A Monrovia jury convicted two former ministers over donated rice.
- —The court Criminal Court C, Judge Ousman F. Feika; verdict on Friday, 9 October.
- —Found guilty Kemayah, Sirleaf, Kollie and Bility, on all five counts.
- —The rice 29,412 bags donated by Saudi Arabia, worth about US$500,000.
- —Still open No sentencing date has been reported yet.
A Monrovia jury has convicted two former cabinet ministers over missing food aid, in one of Liberia’s most closely watched corruption trials.
A jury in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, found former foreign minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah guilty in the Saudi rice case. The verdict came on Friday, 9 October, according to FrontPage Africa’s courtroom account.
Former internal affairs minister Varney A. Sirleaf was also convicted, while several co-defendants were acquitted.
The case concerns 29,412 bags of rice that Saudi Arabia donated for disaster victims, valued at about US$500,000. For foreigners, the verdict is a test of whether senior officials in a close US partner can be held to account.
Who Was Convicted and on Which Counts
According to FrontPage Africa, a Monrovia daily that covered the trial from the courtroom, the defendants faced five charges. These were theft of property, economic sabotage, misapplication of entrusted property, abuse of office and criminal conspiracy.
Kemayah, who served as foreign minister under former President George Weah, was found guilty on all five counts. The vote was split on several of them, the paper reported.
Four jurors voted not guilty on theft, and four opposed a guilty finding on economic sabotage. All 12 jurors voted guilty on abuse of office, according to the courtroom account.
The paper noted that the court record must confirm whether these split votes form a valid verdict.
Sirleaf, a former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was convicted on all five counts.
So was Augustine Kollie, an official of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). Edris Idris Bility, a former deputy director of the General Services Agency (GSA), was convicted too.
The NDMA is the state body that handles relief for disaster victims. The GSA manages government property and supplies.
Three further defendants were reported convicted on some or all counts. On some counts the jury could not agree, which leaves those charges unresolved rather than proven.
Who Was Acquitted
The jury cleared Henry O. Williams, the former executive director of the NDMA, on all five counts. Memmie Davie Larmie, a former GSA official, was also found not guilty on every charge.
Thelma Duncan Sawyer, a former deputy foreign minister, was acquitted on four counts. The jury was hung on the fifth count against her, abuse of office.
Other co-defendants were acquitted or saw hung votes on individual counts. A hung count is neither a conviction nor an acquittal.
How the Saudi Rice Case Unfolded
The rice was a 2023 gift from Saudi Arabia meant for Liberians hit by disasters.
The government alleges that 25,054 of the bags, valued at US$425,918, were diverted or unlawfully distributed, the Liberian Observer reported. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
The defence denied any theft throughout the trial. Bility cited gate passes documenting 5,000 bags sent to Gbarnga, a town in central Liberia, FrontPage Africa reported.
During testimony, Sirleaf rejected claims that Kemayah had directed the transfer. He said the NDMA board had authorised it, according to the paper’s 2 October report.
Before final arguments, Judge Feika rejected a submission by defence lawyer Jimmy Saah Bombo. The judge said it should have been made earlier, the paper reported.
Both sides rested their cases on Wednesday, 7 October, and final arguments were heard on Friday. The jury’s verdicts followed the same day, the paper reported.
What It Means for US Readers
Liberia was founded in the 19th century as a home for freed African Americans.
It remains one of Washington’s closest partners in West Africa. The US dollar circulates there alongside the Liberian dollar.
American aid and investment depend partly on how Liberia handles corruption. Donors have long pressed Monrovia to prosecute officials accused of diverting public money.
The case reaches a former foreign minister of the previous government. During the trial, FrontPage Africa publisher Rodney D. Sieh called Kemayah’s prosecution a “witch hunt”, the Liberian Observer reported.
For US donors in Liberia, the case shows how food aid can go missing before it reaches people. That risk matters for any US-funded relief programme in the country.
What Is Not Known
The verdicts come from a courtroom account by FrontPage Africa.
The written court record had not been published by Sunday, 11 October. The paper itself said that record decides each defendant’s final legal position.
No sentencing date has been reported. It is also not known whether the defence has filed a motion for a new trial or an appeal.
The jury’s outcome for two further named defendants was not reported count by count. It is unclear how many bags were ever delivered to disaster victims.
What Comes Next
According to FrontPage Africa, the next steps are confirmation of the formal verdicts, clarification of the hung counts and any sentencing proceedings. Before deliberations, Judge Feika reportedly remarked that the defence lawyer would take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Until judgment is entered, the verdicts remain open to post-trial motions and to appeal before the Supreme Court. The verdict does not settle the separate question of where the missing rice went.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Saudi rice case in Liberia?
It is a criminal trial over 29,412 bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia for disaster victims. Prosecutors alleged that former officials diverted the rice, worth about US$500,000.
Who was found guilty?
Former ministers Dee-Maxwell Kemayah and Varney Sirleaf were convicted on all five counts. So were NDMA official Augustine Kollie and former GSA official Edris Bility.
Who was acquitted?
Former NDMA executive director Henry Williams and former GSA official Memmie Davie Larmie were cleared on all counts. Former deputy foreign minister Thelma Duncan Sawyer was acquitted on four counts, with a hung vote on the fifth.
When will the defendants be sentenced?
No sentencing date had been reported by Sunday, 11 October. The formal verdicts must first be confirmed, FrontPage Africa reported.
Why does this matter to the United States?
Liberia is a long-standing US partner, and its handling of corruption shapes American aid and investment. The case also shows how relief supplies can be diverted.
Sources: FrontPage Africa, courtroom account of the verdict at Criminal Court C; FrontPage Africa, Sirleaf testimony; FrontPage Africa, final arguments; Liberian Observer, charges and allegations in the trial (all accessed 11 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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