Breaking News: Kemayah Reportedly Sentenced to 10 Years in Saudi Rice Case

MONROVIA, Liberia,: Former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr. has reportedly been sentenced to 10 years in prison after Criminal Court “C” denied a request for a new trial in the Saudi rice case.

Initial reports indicate that some co-defendants also received 10-year terms and others received five years. The defense announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia. The full list of sentences is awaiting confirmation from the court’s written judgment.

The case dates back to April 2023, when Saudi Arabia donated 29,412 bags of rice to Liberia for disaster victims and vulnerable communities. The rice came through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was meant to be distributed by the National Disaster Management Agency.

In June 2025, the Ministry of Justice and the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce announced indictments. Prosecutors alleged that 25,054 bags valued at US$425,918 were diverted from their intended recipients. They said rice was moved and distributed without proper authorization or records.

On October 9, 2026, a jury found eight of the 13 defendants guilty on at least one charge. Three were acquitted, and jurors did not reach verdicts for two others. Former Internal Affairs Minister Varney A. Sirleaf and his former deputy, Momolu Johnson, were among those convicted.

The Liberian Investigator reported that Kemayah was found guilty of economic sabotage, abuse of office and misapplication of entrusted property. It reported that the jury reached no verdict on the theft and conspiracy charges against him. Kemayah denied stealing the rice, telling the court, “I did not steal one grain of rice.”

Defense lawyers argued that the jury’s findings went against the evidence presented at trial. Judge Ousman F. Feika heard arguments on their request for a new trial on November 6. The court’s rejection of that request on Friday was followed by the reported sentencing.