MONROVIA – President George Weah has dismissed the Deputy Managing Director for Operations at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) for gross negligence and alleged fraudulent activities.
According to the Executive Mansion, Mr. Brown would be investigated by the appropriate authorities and, if found guilty, would be prosecuted under the full weight of the law.
“During this process, any other personnel found to be directly linked to illegality with regards to petroleum movements will face prompt administrative actions, and will also face prosecution under the law,” the Executive Mansion stated.
His dismissal comes a week after the Special Presidential Task Force submitted its investigative findings on the recent petroleum shortage in Liberia; as well as the variances between importers stocks balances and the actual stock balances of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company, presented its Report to the President on February 21, 2020.
Terminal operators have also been given up to 90 days to payback or be placed into receivership until government funds are fully recovered.
“The Ministry of Justice is hereby ordered to place such importers in receivership until the products are recovered. Failure to replenish the products within the specified time will result in revocation of importers license and forfeiture of allocated storage facilities,” the Executive Mansion further stated.
President Weah also suspended all petroleum importers licenses which are now subjected to performance-based review covering the period January 2017 to January 2020. Re-activation of licenses will be done on a case-by-case basis, and those that do not meet performance and capacity requirements satisfactory to the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company will be subject to revocation.