Over Link To Audit Report On Allegation Of Financial Improprieties, Pro- Democracy Group Calls On President Boakai To Dismiss Minister Kruah

The group, Citizens for Transparency and Accountability (CITA), a pro-democracy movement has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to dismiss Labour Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah over allegations of non-compliance, mismanagement, and financial improprieties.

The pressure group made specific reference to the embattled Minister when he served in the past Government as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

According to the group their call to have Cllr. Kruah relieve of his position is due to the latest audit reports by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), citing among other things financial discrepancies and dark financial management practices at the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications.

The group’s Chairperson, Sarah Johnson, narrated that the General Auditing Commission (GAC), Special Audit report accused Minister Kruah of spending US$1.67 Million and L$41.6 Million without supporting evidence which violates the country’s financial laws.

The General Auditing Commission (GAC), report covers the period from 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 respectively, during those period Minister Kruah served as Minister of Posts & Telecommunications before being dismissed by former President George Manneh Weah months before the 2023, general and presidential election in the country.

Madam Johnson said any attempt by President Boakai to retain Cllr. Kruah as Labour Minister will not only expose his administration’s inability to fight corruption but would have the propensity to place a dark cloud on the image of the Ministry and the Government and people of Liberia.

“We are awaiting and watching to see the action that President Boakai will take in the spirit of transparency and accountability because he was elected on the mantra of fighting corruption, other than being business as usual, She Stated”.

At the same time, the Pro Democracy group challenged President Boakai to take similar action against the then Central Bank of Liberia Executive Governor, J. Aloysius Tarlue, Jr., Head of the Financial Intelligence Agency, Stanley Ford and former Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), Edwina C. Zackpah, Israel Akinsanya, Zotawon D. Titus, James Gbarwea, and Osborne K. Diggs who were all suspended on April 26, 2024.

It can be recalled that President Boakai on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, suspended Governor, Tarlue with immediate effect and without pay, based on alleged violations of several financial laws, including the CBL Act of 1999, the Revenue Code of Liberia Act of 2011, and the Public Financial Management Act of 2009.

Governor Tarlue suspension by President Boakai was among other things allegedly based on the Auditor General’s Report from the Compliance Audit of the Central Bank of Liberia for the fiscal years 2018-2023, similar thing the group argued should be done in the case of Minister Kruah.

Meanwhile, Stanley S. Ford, former Director General, Financial Intelligence Agency, Samuel D. Tweah, Former Minister of Finance & Development Planning, Cllr. Nyanti Tuan, former Acting Minister of Justice, D. Moses P. Cooper former Comptroller, Financial Intelligence Agency, Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to President George Weah were all hooked based on the General Auditing Commission audit report and were indicted for Economic Sabotage (Fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia Misuse of Public money, property, or record; Theft and/illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money), Theft of Property, money Laundering Criminal Facilitation and Criminal Conspiracy.

The move the group blasted was also meant to fight against corruption and promote transparency and accountability in public space, this they noted should be practice at all levels if President Boakai and his administration means well for the ordinary citizens.

“Let’s do the fight against corruption and wasteful spending holistically and avoid supporting the claim in the public that the fight is selective and is allegedly done in a witch hunt faction, we don’t support such debate but if the President fails to do the needful in this case, than we are afraid that he could be threading on such path”, they added.