Report by Garmah Never Lomo
Many of Liberian citizens following the ongoing court hearing of Ex-Defense Minister Brownie Samukai are expressing some doubt on the case ending soon—a wish shared by the majority.
Mr. Samuka is under investigation for the alleged misappropriation of US$ 460,000, which his leadership of the Armed Forces of Liberia had received for the AFL’s Compulsory Contributing Fund, which the Government of Liberia had sent to the Ecobank Liberia, Ltd.
The matter claimed national attention after Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Samora P.Z. Wolokolie, admitted that the Weah-led government has paid the money.
State Lawyers and the Ex-Defense Minister’s legal representative are in a legal battle on the case.
Minister Wolokolie testified in court that he has the three documents in his possession. The first of the documents is about a request from the Ministry of Defense written by its acting Minister Tibli Olandlus Dickson, Sr.
The second document is about the other a communication from the then Chief of Staff Major General Prince C. Johnson, III of the Armed Forces of Liberia and a document from the Ministry of National Defense, titled Armed Forces of Liberia compulsory contributors fund.
The third document is about allotment coming out of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMIS) of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
Those were documents requested by Defense lawyers headed by Cllr. Weekie Wright for the Minister of Finance (Samuel Tweah) and his deputy (Samora Wolokolie) to produce the original, but Deputy Minister Wolokolie said he didn’t bring the original of those documents because documents of such nature presented to the Minister of Finance and Development Planning for the purpose of facilitating payments instruction are scanned and placed as a backup for source documentation purposes as required by the Standard Operating Procedure of the government integrated financial system management system (IFMIS).
According to him, the documentations referring to the allotments mentioned earlier are “system generated”, which means it comes from the Integrated Financial System. Based on this, he argued further, the original of the documents subassembly described cannot be produced in this format. Therefore he brought copies of similar documentations, which were in his possession as testified to by Defendant Browne Samukai while on the witness stand.
The Deputy Finance Minister identified the three documents mentioned above along with their dates and signatures, which include a list of enlisted officers yet to receive compulsory saving in categories (phase two) one copy each. The second attach is a list of personnel who have received compulsory saving in (phase one) one copy, and the third is a document copy of the allotment growing out of the Integrated Financial Management System of the government of Liberia at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and said allotment was done fiscal year 2018/2019.
During his testimony at the Criminal Court C at the Temple of Justice, Minister Wolokolie disclosed that at the receipt of the request coming from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Finance proceeded in line with its budget execution process and with advice from the National security counsel of the government of Liberia to make payment to the Ministry of National Defense in the amount of USD 460,000.
Testifying further, the deputy Minister of Finance said the background surrounding the authorization for this payment needs to be noted. Monies collected and deposited from solders of AFL and deposited into AFL contributor fund had been used up by the Ministry of National Defense prior to their ascendancy at the Ministry of Finance.
He added that solders not having asset to their funds at the time those funds were needed and due were placing pressure on the government, insuring threat of demonstration and arguing that “governance is continuity”. On this premise, the complainants argue that the current Government (headed by George Manneh) is under obligation to address the financial issues it inherited from the immediate past Government (headed by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), which would quell simmering potential unrest by those affected.
The government of Liberia, on advice from the National Security Council, requested and authorized the Minister of Finance to settle the payments through he Ministry of National Defense for deposits into the Armed Forces of Liberia’s Compulsory Contributors Funds being kept at the Ecobank Liberia LTD.
Relating to the same issue, the Public Financial Management Law (PFM) Act of 2009 requires that before an account is open for any government entity or for the use of any government entity, the opening of such account must have the expressed approval of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Such process is usually initiated from the office of the comptroller and accountant of the Republic, who first signs on such letter of authorization and it is secondly signed by Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs and approved by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Mr. Wolokollie said, upon the receipt of the subpoena and receiving the files of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and through the office of the Comptroller and accountant general, no such authorization exist or existed for opening of the AFL pension funds at Eco bank Liberia LTD.
Minister Wolokollie further testified that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, following the mandate of the National Security Council to make such payment, the AFL’s pension funds and the request of the acting Minister of Defense were approved at USD 460,000 through its budget execution process in line with the Public Financial Management Law vouchers were prepared by the Ministry of Defense because they have received an allotment to approve.
Mr. Wolokollie also said checks were printed and payment were made, Releases were signed and evidence of checks received by the deputy comptroller of the Ministry of National Defense (T. Edward Andrews) whose Ministry of National Defense ID is photocopied and attached to the check as practice and procedure at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
The witness was cross examined by state lawyers.
For his part, the Minister of National Defense, Daniel D. Ziankahn, who was recently subpoenaed by court to produce three original documents testified to by Defendant Browne Samukai while on the witness stand, brought the three original documents.
The three documents requested by Defense lawyers Cllr. Weekie Wright for the Defense Minister was Subpoenaed are: documents originating from the then Chief of staff of the AFL dated December 4,2018 the one that was written by the Deputy Minister for Administration of the Ministry of National Defense which was sent to the Ministry of Finance and has the original because he was CC copied; and the voucher to the Ministry of Finance, which was displayed them in court.
The witness was again cross examined by state lawyers: Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin county Attorney Montserrado County, Atty. Benjamin Kolakolo, and Cllr. Jerry Garlawolu.
The Defendants are being represented by Augustine C. Fayiah, Cllr. Weekie Wright and others.
Meanwhile, authorities of the Central Bank pf Liberia (CBL) are expected to appear on Tuesday to provide account number of said money paid.