Monrovia – Senator Abraham Darius Dillon(Liberty Party, Montserrado County) says he would consider resigning as senator if the USD$6,500 reportedly given to all members of the national legislature and now subject to scrutiny and controversy was a bribe or inducement to have him sign the recent resolution to grant President George Weah State of emergency.
Addressing the controversy Thursday, the Montserrado County lawmaker, dubbed The Light” in the Senate for highlighting transparency and accountability lapses, to legislative reporters that each lawmaker was given USD$ 6,500 from allotment made in the National budget as operational funds.
“I made a commitment that I will be the light and will inform the public about things that are unknown. I want checks and balances at the legislature. The story that senators received kickback to sign unto a resolution is untrue.”
– Senator Abraham Darius Dillon(Liberty Party, Montserrado County)
Senator Dillon explained that the money was legal as it went through all the process of acquiring legal pay from government. “With all my big mouth about integrity, if I had taken bribe unearth by any news agency or individual, I would resign today but this is a legitimate money, as probably unfair and untimely it may have been this money is legitimate.”
Said Senator Dillon: “A voucher was raised and sent to the Ministry of Finance and a check was raised by the Central Bank of Liberia under the Senate operational fund budget. We received that money and have made intervention in the county by helping storm victims reroof their homes after they were destroyed by the storm.”
The Senator, responding to question about the difficulty faced by health workers and how that amount could be used to make some intervention, explained that the timing of the money was wrong especially when the country is faced with a national health crisis, but said the voucher for the amount was raised two months ago.
Senator Dillon expressed regret to his supporters for the misinformation reported by a newspaper that singled him out from amongst 30 members of the Senate and try to make the public believe that the money raised out of the National budget as operational funds for senators was a bribe.
“I had no interview with the paper, I disclosed it on a local radio when I appeared that we senators received USD$ 6,500 as operational fund and I announced that my office would make intervention in Montserrado to help storm victims,” Senator Dillon averred.
Senator Dillon said when he campaigned to come to the Senate he campaigned on transparency, openness and integrity. “I made a commitment that I will be the light and will inform the public about things that are unknown. I want checks and balances at the legislature. The story that senators received kickback to sign unto a resolution is untrue.”
The Senator acknowledged that as a member of the opposition and based on his stance on National issues, he has become the most scrutinize Senator and a target of the ruling CDC who have promised to stop at nothing to unseat him in pending Mid Term Senatorial elections.
Despite the “propaganda” against him, Senator Dillon averred that he will continue to keep the touch of transparency and openness in government burning.