Monrovia – The Publisher of the Daily Graphic Newspaper, Mr. George Watkins and a Reporter of the Public Agenda Newspaper and Student of the United Methodist University (UMU), Mr. T. Benedict D. Togba are faced with an imminent legal action due to their involvement in criminality to include forgery, impersonation and theft at Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
The two local journalists, knowingly and criminally collaborated with some folks at the Finance Department of Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to falsify official receipt and letter head of the NEW VISION Newspaper to execute their criminal, unwarranted and shameful acts on September 28, 2016 when they stole from CBL a check of Six Hundred-Eighty United States Dollars (US$680.00) belonging to the New Vision Management.
The check which was raised in the name of the New Vision for legitimate services the paper had rendered the CBL was cashed on the same date by George Watkins and Benedict D. Togba with the assistance of an official of the CBL Finance Department against CBL’s payment policy.
In furtherance of their criminality, the two journalists on the same day, precisely, on September 28, 2016, (both Watkins and Togba) unlawfully signed document to waive further payment of Twelve Thousand United States Dollars (US$12,000.00) legitimate debts CBL owes the Management of New Vision Newspaper, without the approval or knowledge of the paper’s Management.
The paper’s management has in its possession the physical evidences including payment receipt, waiver document and the ‘pseudo identification card’ used to pursue their criminal action.
The paper’s management says it is thoroughly convinced without an inch of doubt that the CBL Finance Department knows very well that T. Benedict D. Togba and George Watkins were imposters yet went on to still do business with them in the name of the New Vision.
The paper’s management then wondered how rational it was to the CBL that Mr. Togba, who presented an identification of the Public Agenda Newspaper, was allowed to sign for a check raised in the name of New Vision Newspaper.
The paper’s management further reiterates that it is highly questionable and irrational that Watkins and Togba acted alone to execute their criminal transactions without being aided by someone from the CBL Finance Department.
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) under the leadership of Mr. Kamara Abdullai Kamara early this year suspended for time indefinite the membership of George Watkins following the outcome of preliminary hearings conducted by PUL during which Mr. Watkins pleaded guilty to forgery, impersonation and theft.
Mr. Watkins, the Union said in a statement, initiated and managed a criminal negotiation that led to the waiver of 90 percent of debt owed the New Vision Newspaper by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
The PUL added that the resulting check of US$680.00 issued in the name of the newspaper was also fraudulently cashed at the Central Bank of Liberia by Mr. T. Benedict D. Togbah of the Public Agenda Newspaper allegedly with the aid of some CBL’s staff on the instruction and supervision of Watkins.
According to a PUL release, George Watkins has failed to provide the leadership of the Union with details of the transactions done with the CBL Finance Department. PUL described Togba as “undesirable element” to Liberian Journalism for allowing himself to be used by Watkins as a pawn in the scandal.
During the hearing at PUL headquarters, Togba confessed to the crimes but said he used as a pawn by Watkins to post as a staff of New Vision and Telegraph Newspapers, and expressed his willingness to testify against Watkins. He reiterates that all the money that he received from the CBL was hand delivered to Watkins without a token for him.
The New Vision Management on August 1, 2017 again officially notified the Charles Cuffey’s leadership of the Press Union of Liberia and the Philipbert Brown Administration of the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) to reiterate its complaint against Watkins who PAL persistently continue to do official business with despite his suspension by PUL for criminality.
In the letters to PUL and PAL, the New Vision Management demands that Mr. Watkins and Togba must officially communicate with the Executive Governor of CBL, Mr. Alvin Milton Weeks to nullify the fake documents they used to carry out the criminal transactions of forgery, impersonation and theft to dupe paper of its legitimate payment which was initiated and managed under the cover of criminal negotiation that also led to the waiver of 90 percent (US$12,000.00 ) debt owed the New Vision Newspaper by CBL.
Although Mr. Dorbor M. Hagba, Director, Finance Department at CBL has been officially informed, yet has shown no interest despite his office being reportedly linked to the scandal. According to information, Mr. Hagba was the one who paid the check to Togba upon the instruction of Watkins; his office also allegedly acquiesced in the encashment of the check in question.
The paper’s management says it remains uncompromised on the latest demands and has given the two local journalists, George Watkins and Benedict D. Togba and others 72-hour ultimatum to comply or will be compared to file criminal charges against them and a staff at the CBL Finance Department who purportedly aided the two in the illegal transaction.
Following the discovery of the corrupt practices at the bank, the paper’s management on eight occasions officially communicated with CBL’s Governor, Mr. Weeks on the situation but Governor Weeks has purposely elected not to address the paper’s concern regarding the grim and unethical situation shrouded in criminality situation obtaining at the CBL he presides over; while on the other hand, PAL President Mr. Browne is yet to acknowledge receipt of the letter, except for PUL’s President, Mr. Cuffey who reiterated Watkins’s suspension and to seek redress from CBL.
Meanwhile, the New Vision Management is also seeking the intervention of Police Commissioner and his leadership in the forgery, impersonation and theft case involving journalists George Watkins and Benedict D. Togba.
Besides the New Vision, several other media institutions’ payments were allegedly embezzled by Mr. Watkins through the same illegal transactions at the CBL. One of such 24 institutions is the Telegraph Newspaper which has been out of the newsstand for over ten years but was paid for services the paper did not render CBL.
The Telegraph’s check was paid and cashed by the same imposter Benedict D. Togba on the instruction and supervision of Mr. Watkins.
The Telegraph Newspaper was formerly operated by Cllr. Adolphus Karnuah but has since left the newsstand about ten years now.
The paper’s management has reinforced its commitment to public to keep the Newspaper on the newsstand on a daily publication effective October, while at the same time it (management) will legally pursue the forgery, impersonation and theft case against George Watkins and his collaborators serve as a deterrence to others would-be imposters.
The New Vision has been victimized on several occasions include the most recent when its former business manager, Mr. Fuflay Nyenkan criminally stole over twenty thousand United States Dollars from the paper’s LBDI and Ecobank Accounts on several occasions.
The amount was stolen on separate occasions while he also duped the paper’s management huge cash resulting from the payment of advertisement, excluding the US$6,000 payment from CSA.
Fuflay Nyenkan who the paper’s management described as a notorious criminal has since been dismissed for forgery, and theft but has been impersonating by forging the Newspaper’s official documents to perpetrate his criminal acts, adding that anyone and establishment doing business with Fuflay Nyenkan would be doing so at their own risk.
Fuflay Nyenkan was immediately for gross financial dishonest practices, stealing, corruption and financial improprieties.
He has criminally depleted the institutions two accounts at Ecobank and LBDI through an illegal means when he forged the signatures of officials of the institutions.
Mr. Nyenkan’s fraudulent financial acts have seriously affected the smooth operations of the New Vision Newspaper, subjugating the paper into an unwarranted financial constraint. His corrupt, dishonest and fraudulent acts have embarrassed the institution, the released noted, stressing that he cannot be trusted especially with finances.
The Management is also warning the public that anyone doing business with him in the name of the New Vision Newspaper would be doing so at his/ her own risk, saying that this must claim the immediate attention of all institutions, especially Ecobank, LBDI, MICAT, publishers Association of Liberia, Press Union of Liberia, Heads of media houses and others, and are to treat this decision with serious and uncompromising consideration.
The Management of the New Vision Newspaper has instituted major and stringent changes and reforms at the institution to enhance transparency, accountability, productivity and efficiency, and moreover credibility in line with its objectives to serve prudently the largest Liberian society. The paper will resume publication effective October with a daily publication, five times a week.