By Mark N. Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
Although the CDC government of President George Weah has since summersaulted and said there are no missing billions and former President Ellen Johnson Sirlaf has rubbished the reports, a Liberian Senator Sando D. Johnson has in a latest revelation linked the two to a disappearance of billions of Liberian dollars.
The Bomi County Senator made the claim in an interview with Legislative Reporters at the Capitol Building in Monrovia on Thursday (December 13, 2018).
Senator Johnson alleged that current President Weah and former President Sirleaf know about the nearly 16 billion Liberian dollars alleged to have gone missing, which the Liberian government had invited the US government, the IMF and other groups to provide forensic investigators to get to the bottom of the matter.
Liberians last September woke up to news reports of nearly 16 billion newly printed Liberian dollar banknotes vanishing in thin air, something that was confirmed by senior government officials last September.
“They all know about the money. The past and current president government executive members divided the money among themselves,” Senator Johnson claimed.
Senator Johnson is part of the current 54th Liberian Legislature, who failed to get to the bottom of an investigation of the missing billions when they recently closed their extraordinary session which had the missing billions saga high on their agenda.
According to him, it is clear that in a very short period of time President Weah and his close friends are breaking down homes and building new ones.
“President Weah in just 11 months has broken down his home around the 9th Street and is building new palaces and even those who are employed in this government who could not pay rental fees for a room or apartment; they are now building new homes.”
President Weah told the nation in an address before leaving for the UN General Assembly in New York that Liberians should be calm and exercise patience as a probe would get to the bottom of the alleged scandal.
But weeks later he said: “It’s good to be here. Let’s us not wish for something that we don’t want. The entire world was watching when our citizens were protesting everywhere calling on the UN, the world not to help Liberia because they believe that some LRD16 billion lost,” he said.
“When people ask you to be patient let the law takes it course that’s the time you rebel and you know in any rebellious act, there is causality. You think jumping in the streets is the best way. We need to change our attitude. One journalist wrote that LRD9billion lost, another journalist wrote that LRD16 billion lost and the government said let’s investigate,” President Weah added upon his return from the UN General Assembly.
For former President Siirleaf, she rubbished the reports and said she and her government had done nothing wrong.
“This container that they’re talking about, the Minister of Finance has been clear on that, he said there’s no missing container, there’s no missing money. I am certain whatever my administration did was in accordance with the law and the constitution and there has been no money that has been missing,” former President Sirleaf told the local FrontpageAfrica newspaper.
“The Central Bank has already done an investigation on the direction of the Minister of Justice. Why haven’t they released the report of the investigation? Why are they sitting on it? Has the President realized what he has done to the country? The reputation of the country is also at stake. They’re talking about 16 billion, do they know what the GDP of this country is?” Madam Sirleaf said.
Although, Senator Johnson is a member of the coalition that brought President Weah into power as head of state of Liberia, but during the interview, the Bomi Lawmaker said “all of what he saw in him for which I voted for him for he has gone against all”
The Bomi Senator directly pointed accusing fingers at Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson T. Koijee, Nathaniel McGill and other close confidences as those who are ill advising president Weah.
Senator Sando Johnson, who campaigned for the presidency of Weah, said the way things are going on in Liberia is scaring investors from coming into the country.
“The President is proceeding wrongly,” the vocal Liberian Senator said.
Commenting on the reassignment of the corruption case involving Former House Speaker J. Alex Tyler and Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Varney Sharman, Senator Johnson said that it was a positive step in the right direction by the Liberian Judiciary indicating that it is now time for the government to put its feet hard on the ground to prosecute corruption cases.
He made particular reference to the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) bankruptcy case, the John F. Kennedy (JFA) corruption case, the Ministry of Health (MOH) corruption case and all other corruption related issues that were before the court for prosecution.
“This is the testing period of Liberia. Investors are not coming to Liberia because they believe that there is no rule of laws,” Senator Sando Johnson pointed out.
According to him, they believe that the government does not have the strange to fight corrupt official.
“People have to be prosecuted for abusing our public finance” he said.
When he was quizzed about his fear as it relates to the intension of former speaker quest to contest in the upcoming 2020 Senatorial elections, Senator Johnson said“ I am not worry about Alex Tyler, the people of Bomi will vote for me comes 2020 even if Weah lift the hands of Tyler against me. First thing, let Tyler go and settle it indictment case.”