By Mark N. Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
Two Liberian Lawmakers have opposed the position of some of their colleagues that the Legislature should conduct a separate probe into the alleged disappearance of more than 15 billion Liberian dollars.
While one probe is already being conducted by a team of local and international forensic investigators, Lofa County Representatives Mariamu B. Fofana and Clarence Massaquoi have called on their colleagues to discontinue their quest to conduct a separate investigation into the scandal, indicating that they are all persons of interest.
The two Lofa County lawmakers earlier this week informed their colleagues about the ongoing investigation that is being conducted by international forensic investigators, saying that by conducting a separate investigation will create unnecessary interference with the ongoing matter.
A number of current Lawmakers were in the 53rd Legislature when the 15 billion Liberian dollars was printed by the former government of ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Following the recent visit to the Capitol Building by the forensic investigators, House Speaker Dr. Bohfal Chamber told the media that the Legislature will not allow itself to be questioned by any investigators over the disappearance of the billions of Liberian dollars.
House Speaker Chambers conferring with a colleague during Plenary
The stance by Reps. Fofana and Massaquoi in Plenary did not materialize, as majority of the members of the House of Representatives disagreed with them, on grounds that Liberia is a sovereign nation and that it has three separate branches of government, but coordinate powers.
The majority lawmakers to thrash their two colleague’s argument included Edwin Snowe, Acarous Gray, Thomas Fallah, Matthews Zarzar, Edward Kaffia, Emerson Kamara Rustonlyn Dennis, among others.
They spoke strongly in favour of the House conducting its own investigation, so as to give them (lawmakers) the opportunity to establish the reality of how the mandate to print additional Liberian dollar banknotes came about, as well as be informed and not accepting anything given them from other investigations.
The majority lawmakers also argued that the presence of international investigators in Liberia is at the request of the Executive, one of the three branches of the Liberian government.
They stressed that it does not in any way mean that they as the people’s deputies cannot conduct their own separate investigations into the matter.
Representative Acarous Moses Gray (Montserrado Dist #8) said “it is the prerogative of the Executive to investigate and it is as well the prerogative of the House of Representative to investigate.”
According to him, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) did not get any authorization from them (lawmakers) to print the additional Liberian Dollars.
“If we conduct our own investigation, we will establish who say the true or not,” said Rep. Gray.
Based on the request made by Montserrado County District #8 Lawmaker, the majority members of House of Representatives resolved to begin its own investigation, starting this Thursday November 8, 2018.
The Plenary was vague in naming those they considered as persons of interest that should appear before the highest decision making arm of this body.
They named present and past Ministers of Finance, present and past Ministers of Justices, present and past Commissioner Generals of the Liberia Revenue Authority, the present and past Governors of the Central Bank of Liberia and the former speaker of the House of Representatives as persons of interest expected to appear before them in open session starting this Thursday.
In the last53rd Legislature, the current Deputy Speaker, Prince K. Moye who served as Chair on the House’s Committee on Ways Means, and Finance; Grand Bassa County District #1 Representative, Hans Barchue was Deputy Speaker and defected district #10 lawmaker; defeated Lawmaker Julius Berrien served as Chair on Banking and Currency when the over 15 billion Liberian dollar banknotes were printed.
But while the lawmakers don’t want to be subjected to questioning by the forensic team probing the missing billions saga, the House of Representatives has acknowledged that this issue has created serious embarrassment for them.
They said “everywhere we pass,” Liberians are pointing accusing fingers at them saying that they should “bring back our money”.