MONROVIA – The Asset Recovery Team, established by President Boakai through an Executive Order to identify and retrieve stolen government assets as well as assets acquired through acts of corruption, seized a vehicle belonging to the former Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, and several taxis reportedly owned by the former Chief of Protocol of George Weah’s administration, Madam Finda Bundo, on Wednesday.
By Lennart Dodoo
Mr. Emmanuel Gonquoi, a member of the Asset Recovery Team, told reporters that the team is carrying out investigations on some properties that were bought or acquired using stolen money from government.
“So, those yellow cars you see, we have some intelligence and we’re using those intelligence to investigate how those vehicles were acquired. We’re not jumping to conclusion; these vehicles are plying the streets without proper documents. We’re now beginning to see that something might have happened,” Gonquoi said.
Over 20 of these taxis that have plying the streets with the inscription, “Gracious Ride” are said to be owned by Madam Bondo. FrontPageAfrica has, however, not been able to verify that claim as Madam Bundo could not be reached for comments.
Another vehicle impounded by the team was a Toyota Land Cruiser which the former Inspector General of Police, Col. Sudue claimed to have purchased from the General Services Agency in line with its policy on depreciated vehicles.
According to the Deputy Director General of the GSA, Mr. Robert Wilson, the vehicle belongs the Liberia National Police. He said, the Asset Recovery Team would carry out its investigation to ascertain the condition of the vehicle vis-à-vis the amount for which it was purchased from the GSA and if it was acquired through the right procedure.
Said Wilson: “According to Patrick Sudue, he bought the car using GSA process, we saw it, we’ll verify. It is a fact that you can purchase any asset from GSA… This car, they’ll evaluate it as GSA based on how much it was purchased, if the investigation shows that we can reclaim it, we’ll reclaim it and turn it over to government. If the investigation shows that the processes used was dubious and the money paid in government revenue was too insignificant compared to the condition of the car, we’ll reimburse and take the car back.”
Wilson said, the Asset Recovery Team would leave no stone unturned in retrieving government’s assets, irrespective of who may be in position of them.
“Even people connected to the President will not be allowed to carry any vehicle that was acquired illegally or stolen from any ministry or agency, we’ll not allow that. We have put our lives on the line to ensure that we do things differently. If nobody would do things differently, Wilson who is the Deputy Director General for Operations and also in the asset recovery team will ensure that I do things differently,” Wilson said.
I’ll Go To Court
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, former Inspector General Sudue stated that he is prepared to go to court should the GSA refuse to turn over the vehicle to him. He explained that the Toyota Land Cruiser is a 2016 model acquired by Col. Gregory Coleman during his tenure as Inspector General of Police under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s regime. Sudue asserted that the vehicle was transferred to him in 2018 upon his appointment as Inspector General of Police.
Sudue expressed dismay that his family was removed from the car without any acknowledgment of his societal status. “Even if they want to investigate the vehicle, do they have to treat my family in such a manner? Am I someone who is fleeing or difficult to locate? I have held a significant position in this country, and respect should be accorded,” he emphasized.
He further mentioned that he personally attended the scene and presented the car documents and the bill of purchase to the Asset Recovery team. They examined the documents, deliberated among themselves, made several phone calls, and subsequently informed him that they were not satisfied and required further investigation.
Sudue said he was told by the team that they will reappraise the car to see if it’s in good condition and if it can be used by government, he would be reimbursed.
“Where y’all made that other policy? GSA policy that I know, after three years of depreciation, you can buy the car. The policy did not state whether the car is old or new, it says after three years of depreciation you can buy the car and government doesn’t buy used cars, government buys new cars, according to the policy… It was not a new car, Gregory Coleman got that car and he used the car before turning it over to me in 2018 and I used the car for four years,” Sudue said.
He said after purchasing the car, he upgraded it from a 2016 model to a 2020 model. “The Lebanese man who did the work is still here. He ordered all the part from abroad, that’s why you see it looking new. If you check the seat belt, you’ll see that it was manufactured in 2016 and not 2021 as being claimed by the Asset Recovery Team.”
“If I don’t get my car from them tomorrow, we’ll go to the court,” he said.