Africa-Press – Liberia. He has been undergoing investigation for nearly three years after being accused of siphoning portion of the funds intended for enumerators, but former Deputy Director General for Information and Coordination at the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Wilmot F. Smith, has spoken out that the ‘facts’ have always been on his side.
Mr. Smith, in reaction to these long-standing allegations and litigation that cost his job, made a post on his Facebook timeline highlighting his innocence.
It could be recalled that Smith was dismissed by former President George Manneh Weah, over claims of financial misconduct involving funds allocated for enumerators at LISGIS, something that led to his dismissal and prosecution.
But in June of last year, he filed a lawsuit against the Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in challenging his dismissal by former President Weah.
In his petition for declaratory judgment filed before the Civil Law Court, Mr. Smith prayed the court to compel President Joseph Boakai to reinstate him to his previous position on grounds that the act by the former Liberian president was un-statutory and unconstitutional.
The petition comes on the heel of a ruling handed down by Judge George Wah-Harris Smith of Civil Law Court of Monrovia, in which he indicated that the former LISGIS deputy boss’ dismissal violated both the Constitution of Liberia and the Act establishing LISGIS, which grants autonomy to the institution.
The ruling also called for the reinstatement of Wilmot Smith to his official position at LISGIS and have all his back pay and arrears paid, but that was not honored by the government.
Instead, the matter then took to the sky on 18 September, 2025 as the First Judicial Circuit Court, Criminal Assizes “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia issued a writ of arrest for him (Wilmot Smith) for failing to appear before the court in honor of a previous criminal appearance bond.
It was also alleged that Mr. Smith fled the country to evade prosecution, but the legal counsel of the defense, Cllr. Arthur Johnson denied the allegation, stating that his client remains committed to facing the case upon his return from medical leave from the United States of America.
Accordingly, in a strong worded statement titled: “The Destructive Lies Told About the 2022 Census Money Being Stolen Has Not And Will Never Change The Facts,” Smith contends he has endured character assassination, coordinated misinformation, and deliberate falsehoods intended to paint him and other LISGIS officials as thieves of government funds.
He also told this paper that: “Those people lied on me just to destroy my character.”
As a means of further disclaimer, Mr. Smith also published a set of key documents which include: the Co-Financing Agreement, an official confirmation letter from the then Minister of Finance, and an international swift transfer record, which he insists, prove beyond all doubt that every dollar of the Government of Liberia’s contribution to the 2022 Census was transferred not to LISGIS, but directly to a UN-managed account in New York.
Funds Never Reached LISGIS — They Went Directly to UNFPA Basket Fund
Based on the Co-Financing Agreement between the Government of Liberia (GoL) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), he points out that all money intended for the execution of the 2022 Digital National Population and Housing Census was required to be sent directly into a UNFPA-managed Census Basket Fund, domiciled in New York, USA.
One of those documents, the Co-Financing Amended Agreement states that the “Census Basket Fund” is a centralized account where all contributions and donations for the census are deposited.
The Co-Financing Amended Agreement also listed the Government of Liberia (GoL) as a Contributor, not a recipient, wherein funds were not transferred to LISGIS, but placed into a joint UN-managed basket fund used to execute census activities.
Audits were also conducted separately by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and UNFPA’s internal audit system, ensuring multilayered oversight.
Also, another exhibit of Mr. Smith is the former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah’s Confirmation Letter dated May 11, 2022 wherein he confirms that: “The Government of the Republic of Liberia has transferred funding totaling US$3 million to the UNFPA Bank Account (Census Basket Fund) as contribution to the preparations for the 2022 National Population and Housing Census.”
This confirmation letter, the accused former LISGIS DG for Information and Coordination maintains, alone dismantles claims that LISGIS or any of its officials ever physically handled or controlled the census money.
And lastly an International SWIFT Transfer Record shows: transfer of US$500,000 as part of the GoL contribution into Beneficiary UNFPA Account in New York for the Purpose: “GOL CONTRIBUTION TO CENSUS BASKET FUND ACCOUNT.”
According to Mr. Smith, this was one of several tranches that made up the full US$3 million payment.
“How can we steal money we never received?” Smith questions, stating that these documents expose what he calls “a politically motivated smear campaign” designed to undermine the leadership of LISGIS, discredit the 2022 Census, destroy his professional reputation and manipulate public opinion for political or personal gain.
“How can we be accused of stealing money that was never deposited at LISGIS? Every cent went directly from the Ministry of Finance to the UNFPA basket fund in New York. These documents prove the truth. The lies told about me were meant only to destroy my character,” he defended.
The legally embattled former LISGIS official insists that those who propagated the accusations knew or should have known that the census funds were never placed under LISGIS’s custody.
LISGIS–UNFPA Agreement Ensured Full External Oversight
The amended agreement was signed by Francis F. Wreh, former Director General of LISGIS, Dr. Bannet Ndyanabangi of the UNFPA, Samuel D. Tweah Jr., then Minister of Finance and Development Planning and Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, former Minister of Justice.
This particular document, Mr. Smith maintains, solidifies that UNFPA was the Implementing Partner, while LISGIS served only as Implementing Agency, with no direct access to the Government of Liberia’s financial contribution.
A Call for Accountability, But for The Accusers
Mr. Smith is now demanding that those who publicly accused him of theft, corruption, and misuse of census funding come forward with evidence or retract their statements.
“We have carried this burden for too long. The truth is now in the open. Let those who spread these lies answer to the Liberian people.”
He adds that his decision to publish the documents is not just to clear his name, but to restore public trust in institutions and expose what he describes as “a culture of deliberate misinformation used as a weapon.”
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