Africa-Press – Liberia. Four former officials of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-information Services (LISGIS) have been arrested by the Criminal Court ‘C’ on allegations of “economic sabotage.”
Those arrested include Francis F. Wreh, director general; Lawrence George, deputy director general for administration; Wilmot Smith, deputy director general for information and coordination; and Dominic Paye, Comptroller.
They were briefly detained after appearing in court on January 31, 2024. The charges against them are bailable, and the defendants took the opportunity to file a controversial property bond worth US$5 million to avoid imprisonment.
This bond is currently under review by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) for any potential irregularities and may be challenged if found to be flawed. The LACC has indicated that the defendants are accused of misapplying approximately US$1,795,000, which was meant for the National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) conducted in 2021.
The indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in suspicious transactions involving the NPHC account at Ecobank Liberia Limited, contravening established financial processes and procedures and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC). The indictment further states that the defendants acted negligently in recruiting Avianet and Bluku Services Limited for transportation and freight forwarding services without adhering to Liberia’s Public Procurement Laws.
“They, having knowingly and willfully expended the amount of US$30,720.00 of public funds (intended for census-related activities) for the purchase of a second-hand generator without adhering to the PPCC Law of Liberia, violated the following controlling Liberian laws: PART V of the PPCC Act, titled Methods of Procurement, with specific reference to the sections indicated below: Section 53, titled Request for Quotations; Section 54, titled Basic Procedures for Request for Quotations,” it adds.
Additionally, they allegedly misused public funds to purchase a second-hand generator and failed to fully account for certain amounts withdrawn from the Census fund, among other allegations.
The indictment also indicates that the defendants, in the discharge of their duties, knowingly and willfully authorized the withdrawal and expending of the cumulative amount of US$70,000.00 of the Census fund (intended for census-related activities) and, failing to account for some percentage of said amount, fully violated the following controlling Liberian laws:
“Subchapter D of the Penal Code titled Theft and Related Offenses with specific reference to the indicated sections–15.56 (Misapplication of Entrusted Property) of the Penal Law of Liberia; Subchapter F of the Penal Code Titled Economic Sabotage with specific reference to the indicated sections–15.81 (Misuse of Public Money, Property, or Record) of the Penal Law of Liberia,” it emphasized. “The defendants knowingly and willfully withdrew and expanded the amounts ofUS$4,700; US$1,500, and US$2,640 (US$8,840.00) out of the Census account and paying to themselves and other staff extra compensation for performing tasks for which they were hired to do by Law, and for which they are being duly paid through monthly salary payment by the Government of Liberia,” adding that they “violated the following controlling Liberian laws: Subchapter D of the Penal Code Titled Bribery and Intimidation with specific reference to the indicated section below: Section 12.51 (Unlawful Rewarding of Public Servants) of the Penal Law of Liberia. Section 12.52 (Unlawful Compensation for Assisting in Government Matters) of the Penal Law of Liberia. Subchapter D of the Penal Code titled Theft and Related Offenses with specific reference to the indicated sections–15.56 (Misapplication of Entrusted Property) of the Penal Law of Liberia.”
Again, the indictment alleges that “the defendants, knowingly and willfully withdrawing and expanding the total sum of US$4,250.00 (as stipulated in count-9.1) out of the Census account for which they cannot justify and account for; be charged and prosecuted on the following counts: Subchapter D of the Penal Code titled Theft and Related Offenses with specific reference to the indicated sections below: 15.51 (a) of the Penal Code titled Theft of Property; Section 15.56 (Misapplication of Entrusted Property) of the Penal Law of Liberia. Section 10.4 (Criminal Conspiracy) of the Penal Law of Liberia.”
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