WHO FINANCED THE FOYA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER?” GONGLOE CALLS ON GAC, FIA, LACC TO INVESTIGATE US$6M PROJECT AS BOAKAI FACES ACCOUNTABILITY TEST
BY: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr.
MONROVIA, Liberia — Prominent civil rights lawyer and former Solicitor General Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to publicly disclose the source of funding for the newly constructed US$6 million Foya Presidential Center in Lofa County, urging four key government agencies to conduct an independent investigation.
In a commentary released Sunday, Gongloe said the Liberian people are entitled to a clear, documented and independently verifiable explanation” of how the multimillion-dollar project was financed, amid conflicting public accounts and Liberia’s ongoing narcotics crisis.
WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM?
Gongloe posed direct questions about the project’s financing: Was it appropriated by the National Legislature?
Funded by the Mano River Union? Supported by State-Owned Enterprises? Or donated by private individuals, foreign governments, and international partners?
He stressed he was not accusing President Boakai of using drug money to finance the project, noting “there is presently no established evidence upon which such an accusation can responsibly be made.”
He also acknowledged that Foya deserves development.
“My concern is different,” Gongloe wrote. “When explanations concerning a multimillion-dollar public project appear incomplete or inconsistent, the appropriate response is transparency and verification.”
Different narratives have circulated about the center’s funding, including references to the Mano River Union, private contributions, and most recently, government statements describing it as a Government of Liberia project.
Gongloe linked the demand for transparency to Liberia’s current drug trafficking challenge, citing the recent seizure of cocaine reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“The scale of such an operation raises legitimate national-security and financial questions, including whether illicit proceeds can enter legitimate businesses,” he said.
“That does not establish any connection between the cocaine seizure and the Foya project. But it makes it reasonable to ask whether the source of funds for major projects has been properly verified.”
He noted President Boakai previously stated on radio that he was initially unaware of the project.
“Now that the project has become a matter of public controversy, I believe the President has a responsibility to ensure that the source and movement of the money are independently established.”
Gongloe called on four institutions to “follow the money which includes the General Auditing Commission, GAC to audit any public funds used, including appropriations, contracts, payments, and recipients.
Financial Intelligence Agency, FIA, to examine non-budgetary funding, beneficial ownership, and whether proceeds of crime entered the financing chain.
Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, LACC, to investigate possible conflicts of interest, abuse of office, and corruption.
Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, PPCC, to verify compliance with procurement laws on contractor selection and contract awards.
“Compliance with public-finance and procurement laws is… part of the rule of law,” Gongloe said, referencing the Boakai administration’s ARREST Agenda.
He argued the controversy is a test of the Unity Party government’s “RESCUE Mission” and commitment to fighting corruption.
“If the Foya project was legitimately financed, the Government should have no difficulty providing the relevant documentation,” Gongloe stated.
He urged the government to disclose appropriations, donor agreements, and donor identities, or commission an independent investigation if records are incomplete.
“An independent audit or investigation would not weaken President Boakai.
It would strengthen public confidence in his administration,” he added.
Gongloe however appeal to President Boakai to open the books, Follow the money, Let the independent institutions do their work and let the Liberian people know the truth about the financing of the Foya Presidential Center.”
He warned that failure to do so risks the perception that “drug money was used to finance a public project” — a stigma he said “is not the legacy that any president wants.”