Monrovia – After listening to report from the Central Bank of Liberia that no money is missing, many Liberians have expressed their disappointment. Some of those who spoke to this newspaper termed the Bank’s report as “un-serious.”
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh [email protected]
They also argued that the many contradictions from top officials of government undermined the entire report from the Central Bank of Liberia.
FrontPageAfrica toured parts of Monrovia to gather views from Liberians. Below is what those Liberians told this newspaper.
Joseph Flomo, Barber
“I take the Central Bank of Liberia statement to be untrue. We want a proper investigation into that money business. Let the President invite foreign investigators to look into the matter. We cannot trust the Central Bank of Liberia statement that no money missing. We the Liberian people want a true accountability of our money.
Moses Smith, Resident of Grand Bassa County
“I think the message of the Central Bank of Liberia was designed to confuse the Liberian people because there are too many contradictory statements from the government.
The Ministry of Information saying one thing, the Justice Minister saying another, and then comes the Central Bank of Liberia people now saying another thing.
So, who will we believe now? I think it is confusing. I want outside investigators; I don’t want people from the establishment to tell us that no money got missing.
Edwin Topayoun, Pehn Pehn Rider
As for me, I want the Central Bank of Liberia to be audited so that we can know for sure what is going on with the country’s money. I want the President to go beyond the investigation the Central Bank of Liberia did. Let President Weah bring in people from outside of the country to do proper checking about this money issue.
Where was the money at the time before they came out to say the money got missing and how did they find it now? We are still listening to them. Let them properly tell us what happen to our money.
David K. Reeves, Carpenter
I do not believe in the Central Bank of Liberia. They are not talking the true, because there have been more than five statements coming the government. If they say no money lost, then where the money was before they found it? I want the President to do more in this money business.
I do not know whether the President is scared because of some of his friends are involved with this money or what I don’t know.
If he brings some of his friends to book, he will be shamed or what, I don’t know. President Weah says he did not sign for the money for it to come into the country, so his hands are not inside. So he supposed to put people in jail for stealing our money. Then we will know whether he President Weah is serious.
Thomson Teh, Money Exchanger
The statement from the Central Bank of Liberia is ridiculous. It does not make sense because the government says they are bringing in foreign people to investigate. They did not bring anybody then the Central Bank of Liberia just came out and says the money is not missing. How we will believe it? L$16 billion lost in this country while many people children are not going to school.
Then the Central Bank of Liberia says no money missing after the same government officials said that money is missing. We are calling on the President to bring foreign people to investigate this money business and not Central Bank of Liberia, we do not believe in the CBL.
Patience T. Koteah, Social Worker
There have been lots of contradicting statements from top government officials. The Minister of Information told us that money got missing and after the President came back from the UNGA trip to hear that the CBL coming out with such a statement that no money got missing, we cannot take it seriously. This government promised us to bring FBI, and other foreign investigative teams to investigate the situation and we look forward to that.
We will not listen to CBL; they are not the ones to tell us that money got missing or not.
So, we want the investigative team the government promised to bring like the FBI and other credible institutions to go into the case. People are suffering in this country too much.
Especially for us who are working in the rural areas, we are encountering lots of problems.
In the rural area, the education system is so down, these are things that the government needs to be looking at and prioritizing and to be squandering funds at this early stage. So, we cannot buy into that thing coming from the Central Bank of Liberia. We want a proper investigation into the matter.