Gov’t Delays LRD16 Billion Report

-Says Liberians Should Be Patient

By R. Joyclyn Wea

It appears that the Liberian Government has little or no report regarding the alleged missing LRD16 billion Liberian dollars Banknotes due to the delay by the Coalition for Democratic Change led government in making said report public.

The Government of Liberia and its partners allegedly secured the services of a reputable international forensic Audit Firm to conduct a forensic audit of all flows of printed money between 2016 and 2018 following the news about the missing LRD16 billion dollars.

After eight months of setting up the Presidential Investigative Team (PIT) to probe into the circumstances relating to the missing billion, the government is yet to provide any clear information let alone present any report to the Liberian populace but, consistently pleaded with citizens to be patient thus leaving many with doubts and speculations.

The government through the Ministry of Information final press conference on Thursday, December 21, 2018 announced a special press conference on Friday, December 22, 2018 at which time the presidential investigation team headed by Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission boss would present to the public findings from the team surrounding the missing billion.

This special conference was later cancelled after the team failed to show-up even though journalists were fully present to listen to the commissioner provide update to that effect.

However, when questioned on January 17, 2019 regarding the missing money report, the Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Eugene Fahngon said “when it comes to how far we are regarding the investigative report concerning the missing LRD16 billion, we have said consistently that you will be notified.”

“In fact, as part of what we signed with the US Embassy near Monrovia, part of that agreement was to ensure we make public findings from the report,” he added.

According to him, they have too many ongoing investigations into the missing money and that they want to present all of these reports at once.

Minister Fahngon added “I think you will agree with me on the LRD16 billion in question you have several investigations going on at some point in time or at all points. We have the Legislature doing theirs, we also have the presidential investigative team headed by the LACC doing their investigation and you also have our foreign investigators. What we want to do is not to have one report given to the public or published and then wait two more times, let us do it at once.”

He emphasized that once government gather all of the different reports to this effect, it would be made public by the president saying “we have always assured you that there is nothing to fear when it comes to the government under his excellency president George Manneh Weah.

It anyone have something to fear, they wouldn’t be the one to say come investigate me. They will not be the one inviting the FBI, World Bank, IMF, AU, ECOWAS and even setting up an investigative committee, therefore, I just want to say to you be patient we are getting there.”

A source also closed to the LACC boss hinted this paper that the report is completed, but the team had choice to hold on to said finding until the international investigators can present their report due to fear of being contradicted

“We don’t want to come up with our findings before the international community come up with theirs because we don’t want any form of contradiction,” source quoted the LACC boss.