Monrovia, Oct. 6 -- A troubling confrontation outside the courtroom has opened a new front in the criminal trial, with defense lawyer Gbawou Kowou accusing the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce AREPT of intimidating or improperly engaging defense witnesses after they testified.

By Willie N. Tokpah

The drama unfolded as former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah insisted on the witness stand that he "did not steal one grain" of the Saudi-donated rice.

AREPT has categorically denied the allegation, saying the witnesses were not summoned for questioning, were not interviewed, and were immediately asked to leave its premises after agency lawyers discovered that they had recently appeared in court as subpoenaed defense w...