Liberia: Documents Show Ex-Foreign Minister Kemayah Didn’t Receive Saudi Rice Funds; Money Was Paid Directly to Vendor

Monrovia – Corruption allegations made against former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., are being contradicted by documents and testimonies obtained by FrontPageAfrica. Contrary to claims by former Assistant Minister for American Affairs Maxwell Vah, financial transactions tied to a Saudi rice donation were not handled by Kemayah or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but were paid directly to the vendor, Fouta Corporation.

Vah recently accused Kemayah of misappropriating a total of US$4 million in foreign assistance — US$2.5 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and US$1.5 million from the Kingdom of Morocco — allegedly meant for food aid and the renovation of the Ministry’s headquarters. 

The claims have since sparked debate and drawn public attention, but new evidence reviewed by FrontPageAfrica appears to clear Kemayah of wrongdoing.

“In 2022, September 2027, the Government of Saudi Arabia transferred the amount of US$2.5 million to us at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—US$500,000 for food aid, US$2 million for the restoration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Vah stated in an interview. “When we came from the General Assembly, the Minister and Deputy Minister Madam Thelma Duncan Sawyer hid that information from us.”

However, a thorough review of official documents and correspondence shows that the Saudi food aid came in the form of rice—29,412 bags of 25kg—valued at approximately US$425,918. These goods were not procured or paid for by the Liberian government but were arranged and financed directly by Saudi authorities, with Fouta Corporation serving as the vendor.

In a letter dated May 10, 2023, addressed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fouta Corporation’s General Manager Omaru Barry confirmed the receipt of funds directly from the donor and requested a balance payment for the remaining amount. 

“Sir, we did receive US$487,135.04 (Four Hundred Eighty-Seven Thousand One Hundred Thirty-Five and Four United States Dollars) attached on 10 May 2023, with a shortage of US$12,864.96 (Twelve Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty-Four and Ninety-Six United States Dollars) based on our issued invoice to KS Relief,” Barry wrote. “Therefore, we humbly request through your office for reimbursement of the outstanding balance on this transaction. We highly appreciate your valuable business and look forward to more engagements in the future.”

This correspondence indicates that the entire transaction was handled by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian arm—King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief)—without the Foreign Ministry or Kemayah having access to or control over the funds.

Further undermining Vah’s claim is video footage and eyewitness accounts obtained by FrontPageAfrica, showing Kemayah and then Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf, along with officials from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and Saudi representatives, overseeing the rice distribution at GSA and NDMA facilities. During the handover, Kemayah was captured on video telling NDMA officials, “This rice must go only to vulnerable Liberians. No public official, including myself, should benefit from it. It is not for personal use.”

Multiple Foreign Ministry staff confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that Kemayah did not take part in procurement, storage, or distribution of the rice and did not personally request or receive any portion of the consignment.

On the matter of the alleged US$2 million in Saudi funding for Foreign Ministry renovations, documents show that any renovation support provided by the Saudis did not pass through Kemayah or the Ministry. 

The renovation contract was handled by MDMC, a Liberian construction firm selected through the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) process, in line with standard government procurement procedures.

The process was overseen by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Finance and Development Planning. Documentation reviewed by FrontPageAfrica shows that Kemayah was not a signatory to any financial instrument or contract related to the renovation and had no administrative role in awarding the contract.

Furthermore, contrary to Vah’s allegations, then Deputy Minister for Administration Thelma Duncan Sawyer had no ownership interest in MDMC, and there is no record linking her to any procurement violations or ethical breaches.

Vah’s claim that US$1.5 million from Morocco was misused also lacks factual backing. According to documents and insider accounts, the Moroccan government managed its contribution entirely on its own. Funds for renovations were neither sent to the Liberian government nor routed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Instead, the Moroccan government selected a contractor through its own internal processes and paid for the renovation work directly. The Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no involvement in the disbursement or management of the Moroccan funds.

All renovation projects—whether funded by Saudi Arabia or Morocco—were visibly completed and officially celebrated during a January 17, 2024 dedication ceremony. Then-President George Manneh Weah presided over the ribbon-cutting, which was also attended by Kemayah, other government officials, foreign diplomats, and the press. Video documentation from the event clearly shows the updated facilities and work completed—rebuffing any suggestion that funds were misused or that the renovations never occurred.

Multiple sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told FrontPageAfrica that Vah’s accusations may be fueled by personal resentment. According to several senior officials, Vah had a history of poor performance and a strained working relationship with Kemayah during his tenure. 

“He was often absent from duty and underperformed in his assigned tasks,” one official said. “His relationship with the Minister was strained, and these allegations seem to be his way of retaliating.”

Others within the diplomatic and political community view Vah’s claims as a calculated attempt to leverage the current administration’s anti-corruption campaign for personal political gain. “He’s trying to remain relevant by targeting his former boss without evidence,” another source noted.