AS FAR BACK as 1739, Benjamin Franklin, the American inventor, statesman and accomplished publisher and printer, published in his annual Almanack, “Poor Richard”, an adage that has now become one of the world’s most famous sayings, often used as a reminder that people should be cautious of the company they keep.
THE ADAGE goes something like this: “He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas. Simply put, associating oneself with those of low reputation may not only lower your own, but also lead you astray by the faulty assumptions, premises, and data of the unscrupulous.
AN EARLIER English reference of the adage was first cited in 1612 by John Webster in his play, “The White Devil.” Act Five, Scene One, line 170: “For they that sleep with dogs shall rise with fleas.
THAT BEING SAID, it is important for Liberia and Liberians to take stock of the past, dissect the present reality and be mindful of how leaders govern, how they make decisions, who they pick as their advisors and how governments take shape.
BACK IN 2018, when we first began to raise alarms and drum bells regarding massive properties under construction by former President George Weah, many were quick to attack us for being impatient. “Give the new government time”, some wailed.
EVEN WHEN THE echoes of missing money, massive corruption and bad governance became visible, many were quick to take us to task for being “too hard” on the new government.
WELL, SIX YEARS on, Liberia is impressively bolstering its democratic credentials, ushering in one government transition to the next. In 2017, former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, after fulfilling two terms, transferred power to President George Weah. Following his loss in the 2023 elections, President Weah graciously accepted defeat and turned power over to President Joseph Boakai.
NEARLY A WEEK after President Boakai’s inauguration, a lot has been unfolding that appear to be mirroring what Liberia went through under the last six years of the George Weah administration.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO note that President Joseph Boakai, following the footsteps of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, under whom he served as Vice President and his predecessor, Weah, pledged in his inaugural speech that he will fight corruption. “We see hard times, we see dysfunctioning… we see corruption in high and low places. And (it’s) in these and similar conditions that we have come to the rescue,” Boakai declared at his swearing-in ceremony last Tuesday, January 22, 2024.
AS WE HAVE DONE in the past, we will continue to use our designated status as the Fourth Estate to point out the flaws as we see them. No matter how early they may seem, if unchecked, have the propensity to lead Liberia down another spiral slope of bad governance and corruption.
FROM THE LOOK OF THINGS, the early appointments of President Boakai suggest that Liberia under his leadership is bound for a familiar terrain, as the one under his predecessor, President George Weah.
THE MOST damning involves the nomination of Cllr. Cooper Kruah as Justice Minister/Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia.
IN HIS OWN WORDS, Mr. Boakai said: “One thing I know very well is that all the talents and ideas we need to rebuild our country cannot be found within a single party, tribe, county, region, or religion. That’s why I am committed to forming a government of inclusion. We will establish a government that truly reflects the political, ethnic, regional, religious, and gender diversity of our country. We will create a government where a Liberian’s true worth is not determined by loyalty to a party but by loyalty to the country, as well as their ability and willingness to contribute to our nation’s progress.”
AN INDEPTH investigation by FrontPageAfrica points to the contrary.
ADVISORS TO THE PRESIDENT made a huge blunder by failing to do proper vetting on the nominee to head the Ministry of Justice.
CLLR. KRUAH, according to scores of court records, is an unethical lawyer, who is not fit to be in charge of the joint security of any government due to his unethical and criminal records.
EVEN MORE TROUBLING, both President Boakai and Vice President Koung were made aware prior to the nomination of Cllr. Kruah. FrontPageAfrica has obtained two letters written to both President Boakai and his Vice President dated, January 7 and January 8 respectively, carrying the same content, raising red flags about Kruah, who was at the time being pushed by the former warlord, Prince Y. Johnson, as one of his many recommendations for jobs in the Boakai administration. Johnson, now a senator from vote rich Nimba County, played a crucial role in the election of President Boakai and has been making a list of demands for jobs at several government ministries and agencies.
HAD PRESIDENT BOAKAI and his team done proper investigation they would have discovered that Cllr. Kruah has a history of being unethical and criminal.
The Mano River Agricultural Rehabilitation & Development Corporation (MARDCO) has for years been raising a red flag on Cllr. Kruah, who was investigated by the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court and found guilty and liable for theft of money in violation of rule 15 of the Code of moral and professional Ethics of lawyers in Liberia which states: A lawyer should refrain from any act whereby for his personal benefit or gain he abuses or takes advantage of the confidence reposed in him by his client. Money collected for his client, or other money or property of his said client coming into his possession as a result of his professional duty to his client, should be reported and accounted for promptly, and should not under any circumstances be commingled with his own or used by him.”
SEPARATELY, In a September 2016 Amicus Brief by Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, who was appointed to the case, prayed that the court approve the recommendation of the Grievance & Ethics Committee that Kruah be ordered to account within thirty days to the complainant or be suspended from the practice of law until he fully accounts for the money. The brief also urged the court to take any action in the court’s consideration that would protect the integrity of the legal profession based on the facts and circumstances of the case in a manner consistent with its previous actions in similar matters.
ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENTS in possession of FrontPageAfrica, between 2009 and 2012, Cllr. Kruah was hired as a lawyer for MARDCO during its case with Mr. Edmondo Trombetta in the Republic of Liberia. It was found that both Trombetta and Cllr. Kruah received on behalf of MARDCO the total amount of One Hundred Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-One and Sixty-Five Cents United States Dollars (US108, 941.65) from the proceeds of MARDCO’s Rubber from the Republic of Liberia by the Civil Law Court.
THE COMPANY INFORMED both President Boakai and his VP Koung that Cllr. Kruah is indebted in the amount of US$58,814.08 which represent the balance that is still due to MARDCO from him.
THE KRUAH CASE mirrors a similar case from the Weah era. In February 2018, President Weah was forced to withdraw the nomination of Cllr. Charles Gibson, Minister of Justice/Attorney General following multiple staining media reports on his integrity. President Weah made the withdrawal on February 7, 2018, in an official communication to the Senate Pro-Temp Hon. Albert Chie.
CLLR. GIBSON WAS found guilty by the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court after it was established that Cllr. Gibson misappropriated US$25,322.00 from a client. His suspension was lifted by the High Court after he restituted the amount. Gibson was also accused by a lady identified as Freda Mensah, believed to be in her late 60s of attempting to shortchange her on a 75-acre farmland he was selling on her behalf. According to her, Cllr. Gibson received an initial payment of US$22,000 but reported only US$2,000.
IN ADDITION TO Cllr. Kruah, a number of other appointments are also raising eyebrows.
IN NOVEMBER 2016, REPRESENTATIVE Julius Berrian (CDC-District #10 Montserrado County) raised concern over what he called missing US$1.6 million from the account of Montserrado County dedicated account. The amount was intended for implementation of projects in the county.
THE ACCOUNT MANAGER was Mrs. Gbemie Horace Kollie, who was Deputy Minister for Operation at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and recently nominated by President Boakai as Gender Minister.
ACCORDING TO BERRAIN, the account had an amount of US$1.8 million out of which US$200,000 was withdrawn for the project implementation unit (PIU) for Montserrado County. It has been alleged that said account was depleted after a comprehensive and thorough financial reconciliation and investigations were conducted. “In lieu of the above mentioned, I am seeking indulgence of plenary to invite the Minister of Internal Affairs along with Madam Gbemie Horace Kollie, Deputy Minister for Operation at the Ministry of internal Affairs,” Rep. Berrian asked of his colleagues.
REP. BERRIAN ALSO requested that the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy; the Minister of Finance; and Montserrado County Superintendent appear along with the bank statement and give reason why said account is depleted.
ANOTHER APPOINTMENT RAISING eyebrows is President Boakai’s nominee for the position of Accountant and Comptroller General, Mr. Elwood T. Nettey, who does not appear to meet the minimum professional accountancy qualification requirement for the position. The minimum qualification requirements as defined in the Amended and Restated public Financial Management Act of 2019 and its regulations as stated below: Section 12(10) of the Amended and Restated Public Financial Management Act of 2019 states that ‘’there shall be minimum qualification standards established in the regulations for the positions of Comptroller and Accountant General and controllers of line ministries and agencies. Regulation Part 2. 7 of the PFM Amended and Restated Act of 2019 states that Comptroller and Accountant General -Notwithstanding sub-regulation (1), shall be a professional member of a recognized professional accountancy body, with no less than a bachelor’s degree in accountancy or business administration or finance and shall have a minimum ten (10) years relevant work experience in accountancy, five of which must be in senior management position within a reputable organization.
A REVIEW OF THE LIBERIAN Institute of Certified Public Accountants listing of members in good standing from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, shows no evidence that Mr. Elwood T. Nettey is a member of the Liberian professional accountancy organization. Further, a review of his LinkedIn profile shows no evidence that he is a member of any recognized professional accountancy body as prescribed by the Public Financial Management.
ALL THESE missteps are major tests for President Boakai.
WHILE WE UNDERSTAND the implications of political marriages that require parties that support a political party expecting rewards, whatever rewards President Boakai is hoping to give Senator Prince Johnson and his MDR must be based not just on merit and qualifications but also on the basis of integrity.
IF PRESIDENT BOAKAI IS TRULY determined to fix the ills he says his government inherited, and plans to implement in the first hundred days of his Administration, in line with the theme of his rescue mission team, he must begin paying close attention to what is unfolding around him.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: “Corruption is a menace and a drawback. Commitment to the application of the rule of law, therefore, will be essential in the fight against corruption, as halting the tide of public corruption is an important part of our development agenda for the transformation of our country. We must, accordingly, reset the fight against corruption and impunity to demonstrate firmness and resolve.”
ADDRESSING THE INAUGURAL BALL last week, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations, put it right when she said: “Corruption subverts the fundamental principles of equal justice under the law. It hollows out institutions and erodes public trust. And I say this coming from a country that has had its own challenges when it comes to corruption, but corruption isn’t just unfair in principle. When everyday government services are a pay-to-play scheme, citizens pay the price. When bribery dictates an education system, students are robbed of opportunity. When free, lifesaving medicine is stolen and sold on the black market, communities are left more vulnerable to outbreaks and less likely to survive them. And when money is stolen from government coffers, infrastructure suffers, and roads go unfinished.”
AS PRESIDENT BOAKAI DELIVERS his first Annual Message before the Legislature today, he cannot afford to nominate people with questionable characters to any position in his government. If the last six years of the Weah government is anything to go by, many of those being nominated for positions by the president may find themselves on US and other international sanctions. If there are no checks and balances, no proper vetting, the sole intent becomes a means to an end for those looking to rip Liberia and Liberians of much needed resources under the guise of leadership – and the familiar refrain of the more things change, the more they remain the same.