Claiming Innocence In Corruption Allegations, Says Focus Should Be On Ministry Of Commerce Officials But…
By Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay, ezekielgeeplay.105.5@gmai;.com
MONROVIA– The National Rural Women’s Structure of Liberia says it is innocent of any wrongdoing in the alleged mismanagement of the 2023 rural women’s fund.
The group’s reaction claiming its innocence follows an April 2026 indictment by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) that named seven people, including the Structure’s President Kebbeh Mongar and Josephine Handful Greaves, who AREPT listed as the former National Secretary General.
But the Rural Women’s Structure disputes that claim. Officials say Josephine Handful Greaves has never served as National Secretary General. Chapter heads from 11 counties, led by Nimba County’s Annie Kruah and Sinoe County’s Sarah Kawea, said all positions in the Structure are elected for.
They said Greaves has only provided technical support on a pro-bono basis as a founding member of women’s organizations in Liberia. The group is calling on Liberian authorities to limit the case to officials of the Ministry of Commerce who controlled the money
As a result of the indictment, President Joseph Boakai suspended Greaves from her post as Assistant Minister for Research at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The Rural Women’s Structure is now calling on the President to reinstate her on ground that she is not in any way a party to the Rural Women funds that has been mismanaged according to the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce.
“Josephine is not working with the Rural Women’s Structure as stated in AREPT’s claim. We are calling on the President to reinstate her to her post as Assistant Minister for Research,” the women said.
The Structure also objects to including its President, Kebbeh Mongar, alongside Ministry of Commerce officials in the indictment.
“We received only what the Ministry of Commerce disbursed to us, and we have the records to prove it,” officials said. “We condemn the inclusion of our National President in the indictment.”
According to documents from the Structure, the 2023 budget earmarked $1.8 million for rural women’s programs. The Structure says it received LRD 59 million, about $300,000 at the government exchange rate, through cheques issued by the Ministry of Commerce between September 18 and 22, 2023.
The funds were for a project titled _“Building Community Resilience and Increasing Economic Opportunities of Women and Youth in Liberia”_. The project aimed to support rural women in 15 counties with communal farming and village savings activities.
Photos of Cheques Issued to the National Rural Women per chapter by the Ministry of Commerce
The Structure’s report shows LRD 1 million was allocated to each district, with total amounts per county ranging from LRD 2 million to LRD 9 million. The group noted that Bomi County’s check was returned by Ecobank. It also said Nimba County received LRD 6 million, not LRD 9 million, and that none of the funds received by Nimba were shared with Josephine Reeves.
County chapter heads confirmed receiving the funds and said the money was used for farming, village savings, and small business programs.
“My son, we received what was given to us by the Ministry of Commerce thought our national office,” said Sarah Kawea, Sinoe County Chapter Head. “They told us about $1.8 million USD, but later we received cheques of LRD 3 million for Sinoe. We used the money for our farms and village savings.”
Eleven county chapters said they submitted bank statements, copies of cheques, and expenditure reports to investigators.
“The National Rural Women’s Structure is a beneficiary institution, not the spending authority for the full $1.8 million,” said Annie Kruah, Nimba Chapter Head. “If there are questions about the unaccounted balance, those questions should be directed to the institution that held and disbursed the funds.”
The group is urging the Ministry of Justice and AREPT to separate the charges and focus on officials who managed the full allocation.
Copy of the Rurual Women Report on Money received from the Ministry of Commerce in September 20223
“We are pleased to report that a substantial amount of Fifty-Nine Million Liberian Dollars ($59,000,000LD)
was received from the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Commerce for the purpose of Communion farming and Nine Hundred and thirty four thousand Seven Hundred Liberian Dollars ($934,700LD) for operation” The National Rural Women said in a proposal, a copy in the possession of investigators.
According to the National Rural Women Proposal, the project objectives are also aligned to the Pillar one (1) of the Pro-poor agenda, which focuses on Reducing gender inequality in political, social, and economic life through government and partner supported interventions, and in partnership with women groups and communities.
Utilization Plan
The funds received by the 73 districts will fund one communion farm in each district between 5-10 hectares. The table indicates amount received per district and Operational cost:
No County # of Districts Total Received per dist. Total per county
1 Montserrado County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
2 Grand Bassa County 5 1,000,000.00LD 5,000,000.00LD
3 Rivercess County 2 1,000,000.00LD 2,000,000.00LD
4 Bomi County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
5 Lofa County 5 1,000,000.00LD 5,000,000.00LD
6 Nimba County 9 1,000,000.00LD 9,000,000.00LD
7 Sinoe County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
8 River Gee County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
9 Grand Kru County 2 1,000,000.00LD 2,000,000.00LD
10 Maryland County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
11 Bong County 7 1,000,000.00LD 7,000,000.00LD
12 Grand Gedeh 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
13 Grand Cape Mount 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
14 Gbarpolu County 3 1,000,000.00LD 3,000,000.00LD
15 Margibi County 5 1,000,000.00LD 5,000,000.00LD
16 **Grand Total** **59** **59,000,000.00LD**
Copy of the Indictment, Writ of Arrest Following AREPT Reports
AREPT Chairman Edwin Klah Martin said investigations found that the defendants diverted the funds with criminal intent, depriving the intended beneficiaries and using the money for personal gain.
Under Section 3 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, liability for public money falls on the person or entity that received and controlled the funds. Section 3(4) states that if money is lost through misconduct or negligence, “the person is accountable for the sum, as if the person had collected and received it.”
From a legal context, if the Rural Women’s Structure can prove it received and accounted for only the funds transferred to it, it may have grounds to seek separation from charges related to the larger allocation.
The National Rural Women’s Structure says it will continue to cooperate with the investigation and push for transparency and accountability in programs for rural women.
AREPT charged seven people with theft of property, economic sabotage, misuse of public money, misapplication of entrusted property, and criminal conspiracy.
Those named are:
- Mawine G. Diggs – Former Minister of Commerce & Industry
- Jedu J.N. Nuefville – Financial Controller, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
- Joseph Howard – Former Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
- Kebbeh Mongar – President, National Rural Women’s Structure of Liberia
- Elizabeth Sambula – President, Liberia Marketing Association
- Josephine Greaves – Listed as Former Secretary General, National Rural Women’s Structure
- Kermue Borbor – Cashier, Ministry of Commerce & Industry