Africa-Press – Liberia. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has announced that it has placed under investigation, its Vice Chairperson, Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala over allegations linking him to a conflict of interest saga at the Freeport of Monrovia.
The LACC’s new Executive Chairperson, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, in a statement on Tuesday, announced that he has mandated the Commission’s investigative division to swiftly probe in to the matter.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Commission has commenced investigation into this grave report that has the propensity to derail the progress we have made at the Commission in the last weeks,” he said, in a brief statement read at the LACC’s compound in Congo Town.
“The Division of Investigation and Enforcement here at the LACC has been mandated by me to move swiftly and investigate the matter beginning today.”
Cllr. Martin said he has granted the embattled LACC’s Vice Chairperson’s request for one-month leave of absence to allow the investigation proceed and he has accepted to fully cooperate with the investigation while on leave.
The LACC’s investigation followed a damaging investigative report by FrontPage Africa that links Cllr. Bai Gbala and other high profile government officials to the alleged corruption saga at the Port of Buchanan.
Sources and documents in possession of FrontPage Africa (FPA) revealed that Cllr. Bai-Gbala, along with the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Mr. Bill Tweahway, the deputy Comptroller, Christian Brownell and Hamed Sikidi Fofana, the former Executive Director at the Central Bank of Liberia, established a company and allegedly used funds from the port and purchased a loading machine (966 Loader) for their company and awarded the loading contract to themselves.
The loader costs US$65,000, FPA’s investigation uncovered. A source within the Freeport of Monrovia, speaking on condition of anonymity informed FPA: “Bill Tweahway has 60% share in the company, Cllr. Kanio Bai-Gbala was given 10% share, Deputy Comptroller Christian Brownell was given 15% share; while Hamed Sidiki Fofana was given 15% share. So, from the time the company was founded, they had a single machine and each time a vessel is in port, it will be used to do the loading and their invoices will be sent to them.
Mr. Sidiki Fofana, now CEO of Creative Developers Inc., has distanced the company from the corruption saga at the NPA;l stating that his company has over the time, provided legitimate and effective transformational marine services at the Buchanan Port.
Cllr. Bai Gbala said he was not a shareholder of the company; rather, he bought a share on behalf of his younger sister, named Zarylee Gbala upon being invited by his friend, Sidiki Fofana who established the company.
In his request for a leave of absence to the Executive Chairperson of the Commission, Cllr. Gbala stated that his decision “was provoked by an August 30, 2021 news report in the FrontPage Africa Newspaper which alleges that I am professionally conflicted regarding the ongoing corruption investigation of the National Port Authority (NPA)”.
He said while he was absolutely convinced that he is innocent, it was necessary that he take this leave of absence in order to allow the ‘independent and professional men’ of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to undertake a speedy and impartial investigation into the without any public perception of bias or impartially.
Also writing on his Facebook Page, he repeated that he was innocent, adding that the allegations were intended to divert the public’s attention from the ongoing US$300,000 corruption saga.
He said: “𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰’𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗖 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗣𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.”
He urged FPA and its managing publisher to provide all evidence linking him to saga. “I also strongly encourage Mr. Rodney Sieh and FrontPage Africa to now engage the authorities and provide all evidences including the so-called 150-page dossier that he claims proves these spurious allegations,” he said.
For his part, the CEO of Creative Developers Inc., Mr. Sidiki Fofana, denying the allegation said: “The CDI rejects this association as baseless and unwarranted and believe it only seeks to distract from the seriousness of allegations of corruption, which must remain at the fulcrum of the National debate to end impunity.”
Mr. Fofana added, “As the Chief Executive officer, and owner of the Creative Developer Inc. I wish to state for the records that neither the Managing Director of the National Port Authority Hon. Bill Twehway, nor Cllr. Kanio Gbala of the LACC has any share within our company as those involved in the Buchanan port corruption practice will want the public to believe.”
He, however, confirmed the MOU between his company and the National Port Authority (NPA) as published by FrontPage Africa, but stated that though, the head of the NPA signed on behalf of his institution, such should not be construed that Mr. Twehway is a shareholder of the company.
“It is simply a legal framework agreeing to work together for a period under certain terms and conditions. Neither of these individuals owns shares within my company; nor are they involved with its operations,” he stated.
According to Fofana, prior to the existence of the CDI, in the absence of investment capital, he sold valuable personal properties to raise tens of thousands of dollars to enhance the firm’s administrative and operational capacity, and purchased machines needed to hit the ground running.
