Facing Criminal Court In Monrovia
PHOTO: (L-R) Prof. Francis Wreh and Wilmot Smith, two of the four LISGIS officials
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Upon Criminal Court “C” order, four top officials of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo Information Service (LISGIS) including Witmont Smith, former Director for information and Coordination, have been arrested and detained.
The four LIGIS Directors were arrested in Monrovia on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
Mr. Smith together with Prof. Francis Wreh, Director General, Lawrence George deputy director general for administration and Dominic Paye controller were charged with Economic sabotage (fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia, misuse of public money), theft and or illegal disbursements and expenditure of public money.
Other criminal charges include misapplication of entrusted property, forgery and counterfeiting unlawful rewarding of public services, unlawful compensation for existence in government matters and Criminal conspiracy.
They were subsequently released after they filed property bond in value at five million United States dollars.
Interestingly, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the prosecution in the case is considering challenging in the five million property bond.
According to the LACC, between the period 2019-2022, the amount of US$1,795,0000.00 was transferred to LISGIS account with account number USD 6100064362 at the Eco-bank Liberia Limited could not be accounted for and that there have been several suspicious transactions of the said account.
It is alleged that authorities of defendants contrary to relevant provisions of the public procurement and concessions commissions and fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia awarded contracts to several companies and failed to withhold taxes as required by law.