Monrovia – The woman who accused Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Deputy Managing Director of sexual exploitation has told FrontPage Africa that when the case was immediately transferred to the police headquarters for further investigation, a job offer was made to her by the entity.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
According to Theresa (not her real name), the call was made by a lady identified as Piso Knowlden while she (Theresa) was undergoing questioning by investigators of the Women and Children Protection (WACPS), a section of the Liberia National Police.
An investigation done by this paper discovered that Knowlden is the Human Resource Assistant at the LWSC.
Knowlden, when contacted by this paper, said she was instructed by her boss to phone the victim. She, however, declined to mention the name of the boss who instructed her.
“It was a list that came in the HR office and my boss told us these people are supposed to be contracted and we were calling people,” she said. “She wasn’t the only one, but we were instructed to call these people for the contract. The HR was the one who instructed me.”
When questioned about the name of her boss, she refused to disclose the name and promised to call back which she did not do.
The victim claims that the caller requested that she go to the entity for a job. She said it was a contract form presented to her, which she took pictures of and reported it to the WACPS headquarter office.
In an interview with FPA, the accused, Momoh, denied the allegation and stated that he has never known the Theresa.
“I don’t know her; I am married. I have my wife, I will sue her and my wife will also sue her,” he said.
But Theresa said, “If Momoh said he doesn’t know me why I have his call card, where and who did I take it from.”
The victim said on the day of the incident she wrote her name on the visitor slip before seeing Momoh at his LWSC office.
She said there was no discussion of job between Momoh and her but was later done at the local hotel where he demanded sex before giving her job.
“On the day of the incident, he was in a blue C.D.C collar shirt and a dark jeans-like trouser with a white underwear and gray shorts like boxer,” she recalls during an interview with FPA.
“Before we could go to the hotel, I told him I never had transportation and that’s how he told me he was going old road since I am going Paynesville I should ride with him, he will transport me to reach home but I had no idea that he was going to the hotel.”
“He rode with a friend named Kelvin to the hotel while I rode with his driver in his white pickup; I waited for him and his friend who went upstairs.”
“I wanted to leave to go home to my children and then the receptionist came and said I should wait to inform him, it didn’t stay long as soon I got through speaking with the receptionist she came and said he (Momoh) wanted to see me.
After he forcefully had sex with me, he gives me US$100.00 and told me he was going to call me for my rent and give me the job.”
The case has since been reported to the WACPS headquarters, but the victim said she does not trust the investigator because he was seen with Momoh having lunch as the investigation was ongoing.
She said the refusal of WACPS to investigate Momoh has discouraged her to continue the case.
“They told me the investigation will take 4-5 months before sending him to court, which I think it’s unfair to me.”
As such disturbing news circulates; the management of LWSC has released a statement distancing the agency from the alleged rape involving its deputy Managing Director.
“The management of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation attention has been drawn to two (2) successive FrontPage Africa’s Publications (Vol:12; NOs:152 & 153 –Wednesday & Thursday) in which the paper claimed its Deputy Managing Director for Administration Moseray Momoh was allegedly involved in a rape incident with an unidentified adult,” a release from the LWSC said.
According the release, the management is also claiming that “the purported link with the Corporation to a perceived individual’s action; constructive or destructive and proven or unproven outside of that individual’s official duties and functions is a disservice to the corporation”.
“The LWSC would at this point categorically distance itself from what FrontPage Africa believes was an act of rape said to have been carried out by its Deputy Managing Director for Administration and requests the management of FrontPage to treat the Corporation fairly in its reportage moving forward,”
“LWSC, however, encourages the victim, if there be any, to utilize the rule of law in seeking Justice as the Corporation will shield none of its employees that is proven in a court of Law to be guilty of rape.”
“The Liberia water and sewer corporation wants to remind the FrontPage Africa Newspaper that Hon. Moseray Momoh like any other employee or public official has a private life land anything that is done privately by any of its employees regardless of their position should not be attributed or credited to the corporation.”
“Finally, the LWSC management wants to inform the FrontPage Africa Newspaper that every employee including its Deputy Managing Director Hon. Moseray Momoh has right to legal representation and his/her choice to sue is a personal decision of every employee who sees it befitting when the need arises.”