Press Release
(Monrovia: August 25, 2024)-The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) describes as a victim of an apparent grand scam, a Portuguese national who claims the Bank failed to transfer to him $10,000,000.00 (Ten Million United States dollars) after he reached an alleged agreement with unidentified Liberian institutions for a real estate development project in Liberia.
On June 26, 2024, Joao Miquel Amaro Correia addressed a letter of complaint to a number of government officials and civil society organizations, calling for an investigation of two senior CBL officials who he claimed, refused to complete the transfer of the funds and engaged in actions that sabotaged the purported agreement.
Following a careful review of Mr. Correia’s complaint, the CBL identified several inconsistencies and falsehoods which cast doubts over the allegations against the two CBL officials.
In a lengthy email pasted to the letter of complaint, Mr. Correia also made wide-ranging assertions that do not establish any foundation for a logical conclusion in support of his allegations.
Contrary to Mr. Correia’s claims, the CBL clarifies that its policy does not allow the Bank to make payments based on agreements reached between private parties or businesses.
The two individuals named by Mr. Correia as secretaries to the CBL officials he alleged to have interacted with him are not within the employ of the Bank, thereby making it to appear that he was apparently misled into believing that he was doing business with staff of the CBL.
Mr. Correia also failed to name the Liberian institutions that he reached agreement with for a real estate project in Liberia. The CBL believes that the inconsistencies raise significant questions about the credibility of Mr. Correia`s allegations.
The CBL re-emphasizes its commitment to assure secured financial transactions as required by the laws of Liberia. Meanwhile, the CBL strongly cautions the public to not only take precaution against scams, but to also desist from any acts of falsely representing to be doing business in the name of the CBL.