Indicted LRA Auditor Finally Released From Prison For Alleged Theft

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Indicted LRA Auditor Finally Released From Prison For Alleged Theft
Indicted LRA Auditor Finally Released From Prison For Alleged Theft

Africa-PressLiberia. Criminal Court ‘C’ has released the indicted auditor of the Liberia Revenue Authority, Alexander Harris, after his lawyers provided a valid criminal appearance bond along with three human sureties.

The Court confirmed to our reporter on Monday, October 18, that Judge Ousman Feika has approved defendant Harris’s bail bond.

Except the defendant Harris’ insurance bond, his lawyers provided three human sureties including his wife along with their traveling documents.

The Court placed traveling restrictions on three human sureties including defendant Alexander Harris.

According to our reporter, the objective of Judge Feika’s October 18, 2021 measure is to keep the indicted LRA auditor in the bailiwick of the Country until the matter is disposed of.

Defendant Alexander Harris has been detained at the Monrovia Central Prison for weeks after he was indicted by the Special Grand Jury of Montserrado County for allegedly sealing over Four Million United States Dollars from the Government of Liberia.

Criminal Court ‘A’ indicted the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) auditor for allegedly receiving bribes following an investigation done by the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission recently.

He was arrested on October 11, 2021, and remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison

Defendant Harris was indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County for the crime of Criminal Solicitation, Unlawful Compensation for Assistance in Government Matters.

Count one of the twenty-count indictment says that on January 14, 2016, the Liberia Revenue Authority through Eddie H. Howe, acting audit manager, and Francis Dopoh, assistant commissioner of the large tax division addressed and selected taxpayer Atlantic Life and General Insurance Company located on Tubman Boulevard in Congo Town, Montserrado County to conduct a comprehensive audit on its income and withholding taxes. It covered the periods January 1,2011to December 31, 2015.

The communication named Alexander M. Harris as lead auditor along with Varney A. Davis, the audit supervisor.

Count two of the indictment states that during the aforementioned periods, the taxpayer, Atlantic Life, and General Insurance Company, appointed Wilmot V. Gibson as its authorized Representative to discuss all tax-related matters during the audit.

Accordingly, to count three of the indictment, it was during the tax audit periods, it was alleged that some auditors of the LRA had illegally arranged with a taxpayer, the Atlantic Life, and General Insurance Company to illegally reduce the taxpayer’s tax liabilities to the government from US$5,000,000.00 to US$1,000,000.00; and that the auditors had requested and solicited from the taxpayer, the amount of US$12,000.00 to carry out the illegal act. Based on the aforesaid, the enforcement division of the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission commenced investigation into the matter.

Count four of the indictment says that the LACC investigation revealed that during the audit process, defendant Harris who was the lead auditor prepared and submitted three audit drafts to the taxpayer stating that its tax obligations to the government of Liberia were US$5,121,371.14, US$1,111,849.51, and US$209,139.16 respectively.

The audit drafts were done and submitted to the taxpayer without the knowledge of the audit supervisor Varney A. Davis, the manager Darlington Dahn and Assistant commissioner Francis Doupoh by defendant Harris in his capacity as lead auditor assigned to Atlantic Life and General Insurance Company’s audit team, the indictment adds.

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