In December 2017, the peace loving people of Liberia elected George Manneh Weah and his Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) as President of the Republic of Liberia.
Weah’s election was based on the mantra of empowerment of youth, fight against corruption, amongst other issues.
On January 22, 2018, the nation jubilantly inaugurated President Weah while the world watched a former soccer star takes the realms of leadership for a country struggling to unshackle the effects of many years of civil conflict that has left Liberian’s impoverished, as well as a society plagued with poverty and destitution as a result of pervasive corruption.
Little we knew that Liberians had invited upon themselves kleptocrats that were poised to declare war on auditors, the assurance industry and anti-graft institutions.
On March 6, 2019, the lifeless body of Matthew J. Innis was discovered along the SKD Boulevard, few days after findings of missing 16 billion Liberian banknotes, and many questions arose about the US$25 million infused in the economy to mop up excess liquidity.
The audit of the 25 million was conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC). Innis who served in the Regulation and Supervision Department of the Central bank of Liberia (CBL) and was due to testify in the investigation of top CBL executives and staff, including former Executive Governor Milton Weeks, Deputy Governor Charles Sirleaf, Director of Banking Dorbor Hagba, etc. Again, on October 2, 2020, two auditors, Albert Peters and Gifty Lamas employed with the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) were found mysteriously dead.
Their bodies were discovered in a vehicle belonging to one of the victims, Albert Peters. Two days later, Mr. George Fahnboto, another auditor with the LRA, was cut in his head with a machete by unknown individuals riding on a motorcycle on the 72nd Boulevard.
Also on October 10, 2020, Mr. Emmaunuel Nyeswah, Director General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) died after he reportedly fell from the first floor of his residence.
The IAA reported that Mr. Nyeswah was working on audits of government expenditure, including the Freeport of Monrovia, while Peters and Lamas were involved with reconciliation of CBL’s remittances of taxes paid to government’s General Revenue Account.
The Ellen Sirleaf Johnson administration from 2005 to 2017 struggled and endeavored to empower anti-graft institutions to raise the foundation of anti-corruption efforts, and induce accountability. With his election, Weah and the CDC are behooved to continue and improve anti-corruption gains made by the Sireaf administration.
Unfortunately, CDC government has made enmity with auditors and professionals of the accountability and assurance sector of Liberia. The death of these auditors and Innis, a potential witness are far from coincidence.
While corruption deprives poor and vulnerable Liberians of essential services, leaving them to fear for the safety of their family, suffering of daily extortion and faced with death at the hands of curable and preventable diseases, the Weah administration has one way or the other allowed perpetrators of corruption to wage war against auditors whose job is to help promote accountability.
The CDC government has created and emboldened a reign of terror for audit professionals and the ruinous cycle of impunity will rob the people of inherent power.
Corruption will further drive away justice from the courts or hold politicians to account. Liberians will be further impoverished while the war against auditors thrive. With the government, whose role is to protect and prioritize the interest of the people being complicit in the fishy deaths of anti-graft professionals, we, the people are doomed!May God save us.
Written By: Frederick S. Sayeh
Willingboro, USA
