Monrovia – Suspended National Housing Authority (NHA) boss Duannah Siryon claims that at no time did he receive US$80,000 from GELPAZ-IMMO as being alleged by State prosecutors.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh, [email protected]
Defendant Siryon was speaking at the Criminal Court ‘C’ on Monday, October 28, when he took the witness stand.
“The allegation in the indictment against me as regards to receiving US$80,000 is completely erroneous and far from the truth. At no point in time did I negotiate and receive any US$80,000 at the Grand Royal Hotel in Monrovia from Emmanuel Tapsoba or any GELPAZ’s representative,” Siryon said.
The former NHA boss is on trial at the Criminal Court ‘C’ for allegedly receiving bribe from a Burkinabe’ company that expressed interest in building 5,000 housing units along the Robert field highway.
Siryon also testified that at no point in time did he distribute money with his two deputies or any government officials for any reason.
“As I stated in my previous answer, I have received no USD$80,000 from GELPAZ-IMMO or its representatives. Neither did I distribute any amount whatsoever to my able deputies or the government officials,” he said.
“The allegation is completely false. I have never received nor gave Augustine Weah USD$20,000 at NHA. It is unfortunate that an indictment of said magnitude will be drawn with much fabrication.”
The indicted former NHA boss said the allegation leveled against him by the State is false, erroneous and has no magnitude.
“Augustine Weah presented me an envelope that looks like a letter and then when I came down steps to read his thank you note, I saw USD$1,000 in it. Not knowing the purpose of the USD$1,000 and in my consciences, I immediately returned the said amount to Augustine Weah in the presence of GELPAZ President and his delegations.”
“I told them that I did not need it and I was doing this in good faith, evidenced by a written statement given by Augustine Weah, stating that I did return the USD$1,000. Therefore, I received no USD$1,000 from GELPAZ-IMMO.”
“The allegation is completely false. I have never received nor gave Augustine Weah USD$20,000 at NHA. It is unfortunate that an indictment of said magnitude will be drawn with much fabrication.”
– Duannah Siryon, Former Director General, National Housing Authority
Defendants Siryon, Tugbeh C. Tugbeh (Deputy manager Director for Administration), Isaac Roberts (Deputy Director for Technical Services all of NHA), and Augustine Weah, a purported Chief Executive Officer of Guss Group of Companies, Emmanuel Tapsoba, GELPAZ-IMMO Coordinator in Liberia were arrested, investigative and charged with the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Bribery, Theft of Property, Misapplication of Entrusted Property, Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Facilitation.
Following police investigation, the defendants were indicted by the grand jury of Montserrado County for the alleged commission of the crimes.
According to the indictment, a Burkina Faso-based company, GELPAZ-IMMO, through its Chief Executive Officer Alain Z. Zoungana, expressed interest into the growth and development of Liberia through a proposal to construct over 5,000 housing units along the Roberts International Airport.
Siryon was allegedly contacted through the company’s (GELPAZ-IMMO) former Coordinator Emmanuel Tapsoba regarding the company’s intention of building said structures in the country.
The Indictment further mentioned that based on the offer of the company to the NHA, Co-defendant Tugbeh, then Deputy Managing Director for Administration and Patrick H. Delina, Engineer of NHA travelled to Burkina Faso on July 1, 2018 to establish whether GELPAZ-IMMO had the capacity to do the work proposed to the NHA.
According to the Indictment, while in Burkina Faso, Defendant Tugbeh received 200,000 CFA which is equivalent to US$400 from the Management of GELPAZ-IMMO as expensive or upkeep.
Also, Co-defendant Isaac Roberts travelled to the Burkina Faso on October 24, 2018, at which time, he also solicited 250,000 CFA, when converted is equivalent to US$500 from the Management of GELPAZ-IMMO as expensive incurred by him.
“That the act of receiving money from the Management of GELPAZ-IMMO by Co-defendants Tugbeh C. Tugbeh and Isaac Roberts was against the MOU entered into between NHA and GELPAZ-IMMO, and the Public Procurement and Concession Law of Liberia,” Excerpt of the Indictment reads.
The Indictment also added that Defendants Siryon, Tugbeh, Roberts and Weah between August 16 and September 16, 2018 conspired and colluded with Co-defendants Tapsoba with criminal minds and intent to dupe the company (GELPAZ-IMMO) and to defraud the Government of Liberia by compromising the value for money work principle.
The Indictment further revealed that the actual work that should have been carried out by the company was undercut by the alleged act of the defendants by receiving the amount of US$80,000 out of the US$92,000 sent to the country on two separate occasions by the company.