Monrovia-Feb-3-TNR: Several documents in the possession of this paper, including court receipts and payment breakdown, appear to vindicate Justice Minister-designate, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr.
Some local dailies and radio stations have, for the last couple of days, been publishing and broadcasting allegations of corruption against Cllr. Kruah, on account of claims made by one Edgar Sidney and his MARDCO rubber company.
It is further alleged in these publications and broadcasts that Cllr. Kruah is held liable in a US$58,814.08 saga, as mandated by the Grievance and Ethic Committee of the Supreme Court of Liberia, for allegedly defrauding a Liberian-owned company, Mano River Rehabilitation and Development Corporation (MARDCO).
According to the documents, Mr. Edgar S. Sydney, representative of MARDCO, agreed to have paid Cllr. Kruah20% of recovery from the petition for proper accounting filed against Mr. Edmond Tombette by MARDCO.
The case documents captioned, Mano River Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Corporation, by and thru Edgar S. Sydney, President/CEO Voteh Che-Say –versus Edmond Tombette, et al, further revealed that Cllr. Kruah, along with Cllr. Nyanti Tuan and Cllr. Lofan Keneah won the case for US$600,000.00.
The documents show that Cllr. Kruah would have received US$120,000.00, which is 20% of $600,000.00, but the three lawyers, Kruah, Tuan, and Keneah received US$3000.00 each, meaning that Mr. Edgar Sydney still owes Cllr. Kruah a balance of US$117,000.00.
It can be recalled that, when Cllr. Kruah was nominated as Minister of Posts & Telecommunications by President Weah in 2018, Mr. Sydney paraded with the same allegations on several radio stations, demanding US$75,000.00, with the apparent intent to stop his (Kruah’s) confirmation by the Senate, but that campaign did not succeed.
Cllr. Kruah was confirmed by the Senate and served as Minister of Posts & Telecommunications and Post Master General of Liberia from 2018 to 2023. The documents further show disbursement to Mr. Edgar Sydney as follows: May 22, 2012-US$21,500.00, May 24, 2012-US$7,339.24, October 19, 2011-US$4,000.00, October 26, 2011-US$4,000.00 and December 13, 2011-US$15,000.00, making a subtotal of US$51,839.24.
Other disbursements reflected include US$43,314.00 to Madam Rebecca Eze, upon the order of late Chief Justice Johnny Lewis; US$9,000.00 paid to the three lawyers in the case (Kruah, Tuan, and Keneah); and US$1,186.00 paid as court expenses, making another subtotal of US$53,500.00, and therefore, a grand total of US$105,339.24.
