Liberia: Brewerville Mayor Accused of Corruption but Remains Tightlipped  

BREWERVILLE, Montserrado County – Several residents of Brewerville in District #17 have called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to suspend City Mayor Florence Parker During for alleged financial and administrative malpractices, including questions surrounding the use of US$100,000 allocated for the city in the 2025 National Budget. 

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By Obediah Johnson, [email protected] 

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The citizens, under the banner Concerned Citizens of Brewerville, alleged that Mayor During has engaged in flagrant violations of the 2018 Local Government Act (LGA) and the Act creating the City Corporation of Brewerville since assuming office.

Dissolution of the City Council

In a statement signed by Chairperson James Johnson, the group accused Mayor During of unilaterally dissolving the duly elected Brewerville City Council, in violation of Sections 12.6 and 12.7 of the LGA.

They claimed that before the dissolution, the Mayor had already usurped the powers of the council, singlehandedly drafting and implementing the City’s 2025 Budget, as well as setting fines, licenses, and permit fees without council approval—contrary to Section 14.3.5 of the law.

They further alleged that she also dissolved the Brewerville City Police Force, leading to an increase in crime within the city.

“The City has been without a council since September 26, 2024, until the Mayor launched an illegal and bogus process in August this year to set up a new council. These ward elections clearly violate Sections 12.13.2 and 12.14.1 of the Local Government Act,” the citizens stated.

Questionable Use of US$100,000 Budget

The group alleged that Mayor During unilaterally submitted a US$100,000 budget line for Brewerville under code 265546 titled Transfer to Brewerville City. They said disbursements began in July 2025, starting with US$25,000, but the funds are being spent without transparency, oversight, or citizen engagement.

They added that Mayor During failed to publicly announce this budgetary support, which they described as a “milestone” for Brewerville, being the first time in post-war Liberia that the city was captured for direct support.

Financial Mismanagement and Lack of Accountability

The citizens further accused the Mayor of deducting income and social security taxes from staff arrears between July and August 2025, even though the City is not registered with NASSCORP, leaving workers without valid social security accounts.

They also claimed that despite generating US$50,000 between November 2024 and August 2025 from hall rentals, grave spot sales, and other sources, the City remains in poor sanitary condition, with only US$437 left in its UBA account as of August 2025.

The statement further accused Mayor During of downsizing permanent staff from 32 to just 2 civil servants while retaining dozens of contractors without formal contracts, submitting an unrealistic budget of US$435,355 for FY 2025, with a projected deficit of US$336,655 and altering the Corporation’s official bank account twice, allegedly to block legal signatories and tighten personal control over finances.

Calls for Suspension and Audit

The Concerned Citizens urged President Boakai to suspend Mayor During pending an audit by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).

They also appealed to Montserrado County District #17 Representative Bernard Benson to ensure the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Finance explain how Brewerville’s 2025 budget transfer is being managed.

In addition, they called for an immediate halt to the ongoing council elections until the legality of the September 2024 dissolution is addressed.

Mayor’s Response

When contacted, Mayor During said she would “officially respond very soon” to the allegations. Despite repeated calls, emails, and text messages to her and her Special Assistant over a week, no formal response had been provided up to press time.